Vidalia onions are celebrated with their own month in May, although modern technology has extended the availability of this onion through the Christmas holidays and beyond. They are named after the town where they are grown: Vidalia, Georgia. Their sweet flavor is due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which they are grown. An onion can be called a Vidalia only if it is grown in one of 20 counties designated by the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986.

As the story goes, which is set during the Depression in 1931, a farmer by the name of Moses Coleman discovered the onions he had planted were not as hot or strong as he had expected. They were sweet. After a long struggle, Coleman persevered and was soon selling them for $3.50 per 50-pound bag. That was a high price in those days.

Other farmers thought Coleman had found a gold mine and began to follow suit. Their farms were now producing those sweet mild onions.

Marketing these special onions grew slowly, but the State of Georgia built a farmers’ market in Vidalia. This small town was at a junction of some of South Georgia’s most traveled highways. The market soon had a thriving tourist business. Word began to spread. Vidalia onions began appearing on the shelves of Piggly Wiggly and A&P grocery stores in the 1940s.

Production began at a slow steady pace but by the 1970s, 600 acres (today 1,400) acres) were in the Vidalia onion business. The onions were being distributed nationally. Onion festivals became an annual event and are still held. The production of Vidalia onions grew tenfold over the next decade. A market of $90 million, 40 percent of the nation’s spring onion crop, 4 million 40-lb. boxes are shipped out annually No longer just a Southern thing, Vidalia onions are available in 50 states and most of Canada.

So popular and so well-known is this culinary treat that Vidalia boasts a museum in Vidalia filled with exhibits that highlights this sweet onion.

References: “History of Vidalia Onions,” “Vidalia Facts You Didn’t Know,” and “About Vidalia Onions.”

VIDALIA CASSEROLE

2 c. cooked, chopped chicken
1 c. chopped Vidalia onions
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of broccoli soup
½ c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. melted butter
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350℉. Butter a 2-qt. casserole. In a large bowl combine chicken, onions, sour cream, soup and cheese. Mix well. Pour into casserole dish. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, melted butter and poppy seeds. Mix well. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

BAVON ONIONS

4 c. sliced Vidalia onions
¼ c. butter
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Sauté onions in butter until soft. Place in a 2-qt. glass casserole. Mix eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper; pour over onion mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top of onion mixture and bake at 350℉. For 20 to 25 minutes.
(This recipe came from Mary Neff who lived at Bavon when she was the featured cook of a GJ article in 2001.)

CREAMED ONIONS WITH WINE

2 lb. Vidalia onions, peeled
1 bottle Chardonnay wine
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. dried thyme
Salt to taste
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. butter

Place onions in a 2-qt. pot. Pour in enough wine to cover half the onions. Add bay leaf, thyme and salt. Simmer and stir for 25 minutes. Add cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Remove bay leaf.

ONION RELISH

½ c. Vidalia onion, chopped
½ Tbs. red wine vinegar
½ tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

Toss together in a small bowl.

ONION SOUP

2 lb. Vidalia onions
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
6 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. molasses
½ c. vermouth
2 qt. beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Provolone cheese, sliced or shredded
Croutons

Cut and chop onions; sauté in butter or oil for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, molasses, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes with occasional stirring. Add beef broth and vermouth cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place in onion soup bowls. Add croutons and top with cheese. Broil in oven until cheese begins to brown.