What is a sweet onion?

Sweet onions are a kind of onion with a less astringent taste. They are commonly eaten raw, such as in salads or sandwiches. Some popular varieties are walla walla and Vidalia.

Sweet onions tend to look more squat than, more spherical varieties of onions and are typically pale in color. Unlike more robust varieties of onions, sweet onions should be refrigerated to avoid perishing.

Vidalia sweet onions originate in Georgia and are known for their low pyruvic acid content. They cause less irritation to the tear ducts than other onions, and they peak in ripeness towards the end of summer.