Famously from the US state of Georgia, the vidalia onion is a sweet variety of onion. It is known for being a key summertime cooking ingredient because of its sweetness, mildness, and the fact that it goes with just about anything. They also have a uniquely flat shape.
Legend says that the onion was first discovered by farmer Moses Coleman in the 1930s, when he noticed that the onions he was growing at his farm in Vidalia were sweeter than any other onion he had cultivated previously. The secret to this sweetness is related to the soil in Vidalia, which has an unusually low amount of sulfur.
The city of Vidalia is proud of its onion-based heritage, holding an annual Vidalia Onion Festival, and even having a dedicated Vidalia Onion Museum!
Vidalia onions are delicious raw, in sandwiches or salads, as its mild flavour isn’t as overwhelming as other onion varieties. They are also perfect for cooking and to go along your favourite meals, and their high sugar content also make them perfect for caramelising.
Vidalia onion season runs from April to August. Vidalias have a higher water content than other onion varieties which contributes to their unique flavor, but also shortens their shelf life. Due to its trademark sweetness, the Vidalia Onion is more prone to bruising and rotting than any other similar onions, so they need extra care when storing.
M&P Engineering is a leading manufacturer and supplier of food processing equipment to suit all food production factories.
M&P Engineering has a lot of experience in manufacturing food processing equipment and onion peeling machinery and we are proud of our famous Large Onion Peeling machine. This machine is in the forefront of food production globally, with many thousands of units sold worldwide. It can peel, top and tail onions of different sizes using self-adjusting knives. It also uses a dry peeling process, to avoid waste slurry. You can see it in action here.
As well as onion peeling machines, M&P Engineering also supplies depositors, fillers and fresh-cut machinery to cover a wide range of food production needs.
To learn more about our machines, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team today.