Information onions, onions, onion and oignon
The words onion and onion are actually the same. The Latin name of the onion is Allium cepa. This name refers specifically to the planting and sowing onions. The word onion comes from Ajuin, a sister word of the English onion and the French oignon. In the Northern Netherlands this sounded like “ui-jèn” and in Dutch words ending in –en are usually plural, so ui-jen was used for plural and ui for singular. In the south of the Netherlands and Flanders the name onion or juin is also used, in the north of the Netherlands siepel is used.
Typical for the onion is the sharp taste and smell. These come from volatile oils and are only released when you cut the bulb. It is precisely these volatile oils that make the onion a very healthy ingredient. In ancient times, the onion was believed to promote physical strength and prevent disease.
The onion was first cultivated around 3000 BC. grown in parts of Asia (Iran – Afghanistan). The onion was also already found in China and ancient India and from India the onion was brought to Greece and Egypt. The Romans introduced the onion to Europe and quickly became popular as a vegetable.
(Source: http://www.groenteenfruit.nl)
Ui gezond en vol vitaminen
Flevo polders (Flevoland), where Molnopex is located.
Friesland, North Holland and Zeeland are also important growing areas in the Netherlands. In total, Dutch farmers grow about 20,000 hectares of seed onions every year, the yield per hectare is about 55 tons. Which gives a total of about 1.1 million tons (one ton is 1000 kg).
This of course depends on the amount sown and the growing conditions. The Netherlands exports a lot of the onions grown, about 90% is exported all over the world. There are different ways of growing onions: seed onions, picklers, first-year onion sets, second-year onion sets and silver onions. The common onion (the sowing onion) is sown from March to May and harvested in July and September.
Onions are ripe and can be harvested as soon as the foliage begins to die, if the onion foliage is stripping. The foliage is folded, the foliage is beaten off mechanically, and the onions are harvested. The onions remain in the field for a few days to dry, after which the onions can be moved indoors.
Packaging of onions
Onion cultivation
Quite a lot of onions are grown in the Netherlands, onions are grown on about 2% of the Dutch agricultural land. About 40% of this onion cultivation takes place in Flevo polders (Flevoland), where Molnopex is located.
Friesland, North Holland and Zeeland are also important growing areas in the Netherlands. In total, Dutch farmers grow about 20,000 hectares of seed onions every year, the yield per hectare is about 55 tons. Which gives a total of about 1.1 million tons (one ton is 1000 kg). This of course depends on the amount sown and the growing conditions. The Netherlands exports a lot of the onions grown, about 90% is exported all over the world. There are different ways of growing onions: seed onions, picklers, first-year onion sets, second-year onion sets and silver onions. The common onion (the sowing onion) is sown from March to May and harvested in July and September.
Onions are ripe and can be harvested as soon as the foliage begins to die, if the onion foliage is stripping. The foliage is folded, the foliage is beaten off mechanically, and the onions are harvested. The onions remain in the field for a few days to dry, after which the onions can be moved indoors.
Onion and Quality
For high-quality onions, it is important that the onions are dried quickly and properly as soon as possible after the harvest. After drying, the onions should be cooled back to lower temperatures.
After drying, the onions are sorted according to size and the foliage is removed. The onions are sorted by size by means of a sieve and at the same time the onions are checked for quality. The onions are then packed, but not before a quality check is carried out. A lot is possible with regard to packaging, from small packaging for the supermarket to jumbo bags.
It is of great importance to maintain the quality of the product with every processing. The quality of onions is mainly determined by the characteristics of colour, skin resistance, hardness and integrity. The entire process takes place at Molnopex and all this with modern, product-friendly machines so that the onions can be damaged as little as possible.
Do it yourself
Onions can be grown on almost all soil types for own use. You may have to add some lime first, often with sandy or acidic soil. It is important that the soil is well fertilized. Organic manure or fertilizer works best, because farmyard manure can attract the onion fly. You have to dig in the organic fertilizer before the growing season and you can use fertilizer during the cultivation itself. But also be careful not to give too much fertilizer, this can have consequences for the quality. It is advisable to do crop rotation, just like the farmers. Plant or sow onions on the same piece of soil at most once every 6 years, this prevents depletion of the soil and reduces the risk of diseases and pests.
Growing seed onions
Seed onions store better and can be harvested later compared to onion sets, but also need more time to grow.
What should you do; As soon as the weather permits, you can sow the onion seed between the end of February and the beginning of April. The later you sow, the better the seed will come up. Sow the onion seed in rows, keeping 25 centimeters between rows. Leave 5 to 7 inches of space between each seed so that the onion has plenty of room to grow later. Sow the onion seed at a maximum of 2 inches deep. Keep the soil weed-free for the following months. The onions can be harvested in about August and September when the foliage has set. Let the onions dry on the seed bed, this can also be done at home in a dark, dry place. It works best if they are dried with a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and wind (if it is humid otherwise with a central heating boiler with a fan).
Storing seed onions; Onions are best dried when the foliage is well dead. Provide a cool frost-free room and you can store the onions until March or April. Check the onions regularly, it should not feel soggy. Also be careful with damage because damage can cause rot and 1 rotten onion quickly infects another.
How do I store onions at home; Onions should be hard and have a dry outer skin, in addition make sure the stems are not long, about 3 centimeters is good. Store onions in a cool (12-15C), dark and dry place outside the refrigerator. Onions can be stored for a few weeks to 2 months, the cooler the longer the onions can be stored.
Growing Planets
If you choose to use onion sets, you should know that the cultivation consists of 2 parts: the first-year onions and the second-year onions. The 1st year you grow the onions: you sow them and let them grow until the time for planting has come, the 2nd year you plant them.
What should you do?
Sow the first-year onion sets between the end of March and the beginning of April in trenches a few centimeters deep and plant the onion sets 1 to 1.5 centimeters apart. Leave about 20 centimeters between the trenches. When the onions start to grow, you don’t need to thin them out. The bulbs with an average diameter of 10 to 20 millimeters can be harvested around the second half of June. Pull the whole onions out of the ground. Let the onions dry well so that the top of the onions dies, dry at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. When the foliage has died, cut the foliage off just above the onion bulb, otherwise it will rot. Store the balls between August and March. Provide the correct storage temperature, which depends on the variety. The following year, in March, you plant the second-year onion sets. Plant the onion sets again in rows with a distance of 30 centimeters between the rows, leave 10 centimeters free between the onions. Press the balls into the loosened soil and cover them with a fine layer of soil. Keep the soil around the onions weed free. Depending on how the onions have grown, you can harvest around mid-August. When the foliage has died and has settled down (ironing). If necessary, you can fertilize a poor surface with fertilizer.
store onion sets; Onion sets can be stored for a long time, a few months is no problem. The condition is that the onion sets are stored/stored in a cool and dark place. The dead foliage and the brown membranes around the onion do not need to be removed, they protect the harvested onion.
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