|
| |
|
 Onions
 |
|
|
Types
| Availability |
Nutritional
Value |
Fast Facts |
|
Sweet and tangy, Nova Agri onions infuse any dish
with the delectable flavour and aroma
|
|
Types
|
|
Nova Agri currently specializes in yellow onions supplied
from Dykeview farms, though we are able to source and supply other varieties for customers Yellow onions are full-flavoured and primarily used in cooking,
which tends to soften their sharpness, and bring our their sweetness and aroma. When
sautéed, yellow onions turn a rich dark brown and give soups and gravies a sweet, tangy
flavour. By contrast, white and red onions are milder and often eaten raw.
|
|
Availability
|
|
Nova Agri begins harvesting onions about the third week of
August, but due to our advanced drying and storage facilities, we are able to deliver
onions nine to ten months of the year (early September through late May). In 1999 we
delivered over 12,000,000 pounds of onions to local and international markets. Onions come in three sizes: small, pre-pack, and oversize, and are
packaged as follows:
-
Small - 10, 25 and 50 lb. mesh bags
-
Pre-pack - 2, 3 and 5 lb. mesh bags
-
Oversize - 10, 25 and 50 lb. mesh bags
|
|
Nutritional
Value and Fast Facts
|
|
Since onions - especially yellow cooking onions - are
usually eaten in relatively small quantities, they tend to contribute more to the
tastiness of foods than they do to providing our daily vitamin and mineral requirements.
However, if eaten in larger portions (1 cup cooked) they are a good source of phosphorous,
magnesium and vitamin B6 Onions and garlic are being
studied by food scientists for their "nutraceutical" value (the ability to
prevent and/or treat disease) and considerable evidence now suggests that the presence of
the antioxidant quercetin in these foods can play an important role in the prevention of
cancer. The risk of cardiovascular disease - the #1 killer in the western world - and
hypoglycemia are also thought to be lowered with regular ingestion of quercetin-containing
foods.
Another flavonoids (active biological compounds) found in
onions and garlic - a surface compound called allicin, has been shown to invade/survive in
a host. Allicin may therefore help fend off the viruses, bacteria and fungi that attack
humans.
|
|
|
|
