Schnucks Now Selling Milder Sweet Onion

by Jeff Wright

A U.S.-grown onion described as having a mild, sweet flavor with “less bite,” is now for sale at Schnucks stores in the St. Louis area, including the store in Washington.

This inaugural crop of EverMild onions expands cooking options because they are mild enough to use raw in salads and salsas, or sliced for sandwiches, according to Michael O’Brien, vice president of produce and floral for Schnuck Markets.

“You also can sauté, caramelize or grill them, to bring out the sweetness of any particular dish you’re working with,” said Danielle Stuart, a spokesperson for Monsanto Co., whose vegetable Seed business developed the yellow onion.

It is grown in the sandy, low sulphur soils of the Pacific Northwest, which are optimal for producing sweet onions. Those at Schnucks’ Washington, Mo. store are from Oregon and are priced the same as jumbo yellow onions, according to produce manager Bud Barlow.

The EverMild onion is to be available through the end of March. The only sweet onions typically available in the U.S. during the winter are imported from Latin America.