Consuming
Thoughts
by
Fay Strickler
y enn State Extension Home
Economist For Berks Co.
Onion lovers will find one of
the most popular varieties. Sweet
Spanish onions, in abundant sup
ply from September into April.
These extra large, high quality
onions, grown in southwestern
Idaho and eastern Oregon, com
prise one-third of the onions on
the market during those seven
months. There, ideal growing con
ditions prevail and informed
growers take pride in producing a
quality product All are USDA in
spected to meet U.S. No. 1 or U.S.
No. 2 grade standards for size and
quality.
You’ll recognize Sweet Span
ish onions in the fresh produce
counters by their globular shape
and bronze colored, parchment
like skin that crackles to the touch.
They are often called the “Gentle
Giants” for their mild flavor and
large size.
At the peak of perfection. Sweet
Spanish onions frequently reach a
diameter in excess of five inches
and often weigh from VA to 2
pounds. If onions exceed three in
ches in diameter, they are classi
fied as “jumbos” in the onion mar
ket This region of Idaho-Oregon
also markets a large quantity of
2'A to 3 inches “medium” sized
Sweet Spanish onions, which
weigh 8 to 10 ounces each.
Sweet Spanish onions are ex-
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cellent keepers. Simply put them
in a crate or mesh bag and place in
a dark, dry and cool location that
has good ventilation. Once cut
they should be coveted with plas
tic and refrigerated. For longer
storage, chop and freeze the
onions, ready to conveniently use
as needed.
Add these onions to your mar
ket list and let them give a boost to
your menus. For example Sweet
Spanish onions lend their distinc
tive flavor to this Cajun-style en
tree. Serve over hot cooked rice,
with a tossed green salad and hot
Parmesan-topped French bread,
for a special dinner.
Cajun Sweet Spanish
Onions and Shrimp
3 medium (8 to 10 oz. each)
Sweet Spanish onions
'/i cup olive oil
'A cup red bell pepper, diced
'A cup green bell pepper, cut in
strips
'A cup sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter or margar
ine
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon dry basil
A teaspoon seasoning salt
/* teaspoon black pepper
'A teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound large cooked shrimp
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Food Facts And Myths
Myth: Margarine contains few
er calorics than butter.
Fact: Ounce for ounce the
calorics and total fat content of re
gular stick margarine and butter
are the same about 100 calories
and 12 grams of fat per table
spoon.
Myth: Eating grapefruit or
vinegar bums calorics.
Fact: Digestion of any food
'A cup small pitted ripe olives
4 to 5 cups hot cooked rice
Peel onions and slice in thin
wedges. Heat oil in large deep
skillet or saucepan. Add onions,
peppers, celery, and garlic. Cook,
stirring frequently, until vege
tables are tender crisp. Add butter
or margarine, tomatoes with liq
uid, basil, salt, pepper and hot
pepper sauce. Bring to simmer and
cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until
vegetables ate tender. Add shrimp
and olives. Heat 2 to three
minutes. To serve, spoon Cajun
Onions and Shrimp over hot cook
ed rice. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
The healthful benefits of Sweet
Spanish onions are often over
looked in lieu of their great eating
qualities. Nutritionally, onions
supply essential carbohydrates
and significant amounts of import
ant nutrients including vitamin C,
the B-vitamins and several miner
als. And, they’re a boost to die
ters’ menus. One hundred grams
of Sweet Spanish onion (about %
cup, chopped) will contribute only
38 calories. So enjoy them in a
variety of way, but remember the
calories increase to about 310 cal
ories when you eat them in a regu
lar serving of fried onion rings.
If you haven’t tried these
“gentle giants,” plan to include
them in your future menus.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 18, 1999-B5
uses a small amount of energy.
But no food can “bum up” the
calories in food or “melt away"
body fat.
Myth: Do Vitamin B-17 sup
plements prevent cancer?
Fact: No, in fact vitamin B-27
also known as laetrile, isn’t a vita-
min at all. Instead it’s a substance
derived from the inedible pit of
apricots and stone of other fruits.
Myth: Drinking chocolate milk
makes kids hyper.
Fact: There is no scientifrc evi
dence that the sugar or the very
small amount of caffeine in cho
colate milk are linked to hyperac
tivity.
Myth: Drinking milk causes
cotton mouth or mucus.
Fact: So called “cotton mouth"
is described as dry mouth with
thick saliva or a feeling of mucus.
The condition has nothing to do
with milk. With colds, milk may
simply coat the mucus in the
mouth, making it seem thicker.
Myth: Honey is natural and
won’t raise blood sugar levels.
Fact: Natural or not, honey is
basically sugar, which acts like
other sugars, like sugar, 1 table
spoon of honey counts as 1 carbo
hydrate exchange.
Myth: Brown eggs are better
for you than white ones.
Fact: The color of the shell has
no relation to the egg’s nutritional
value. Varying from white to deep
brown the shell color depends on
the breed of the hen.
Myth: Washing rice gets rid of
some calorics.
Fact; Washing rice before or
after cooking doesn’t get rid of
calories. But it does wash away
some important B vitamins added
to enriched-fortitied rice.
Myth: Hair analysis can diag
nose a vitamin or mineral defi
ciency.
Fact: Except to detect poison
ous elements such as lead or ar-
senic, hair analysis isn't a valid
way to check nutritional status.
Myth: Eating gelatin makes
your fingernails strong.
Fact: That's wishful thinking,
fingernails are mainly dead pro-
teins that get their strength from
sulfur in amino acids.
Myth: Red beets are a good
source of iron.
Fact: Just because red beets are
red does not mean they will make
your blood red. Good sources of
iron are meats, dark green leafy
vegetables, and fortified foods.
Myth: A glass of milk before
bedtime makes you sleepy.
Fact: Tryptophan, an amino
acid in milk, can help make you
drowsy. In theory you would need
more milk than you could prob
ably drink to get enough trypto
phan to make you sleep. Regard
less if milk at bedtime is a comfort
food that helps you relax, go for it
Myth: You need “stress” vita
mins when you’re under emotion
al stress.
Fact: No, emotional stress from
a busy harried lifestyle doesn’t in
crease nutrient needs. Any claims
that promote vitamins supple
ments for stress relief are mislead
ing. The physical stress that comes
with recovery from illness, sur
gery or injury may benefit from a
physician prescribed supplement
Bjy