category: food/groceries: vegetables: onions/alliaceae

Pearl Onion, bot.: Allium porrum var. sectivum, de.: Perlzwiebel

Pearl onions belong to the botanical family of Alliaceae. They are closer related to leeks than to bulb onions. Pearl onions may reach a diameter of 15 to 35 mm and have a white to shiny silver outer skin. Even though pearl onions and silver skin onions look very similar, they belong to different botanical species.

Most pearl onions are industrially processed to mixed pickles or other pickled vegetables. The mild onions are hard to obtain fresh. When they are sold fresh they are usually categorised in true pearl onions and false pearl onions. While true pearl onions are only related to leeks, false pearl onions are actually the tip of baby leeks.

Preparation of Pearl Onions

Besides their use in mixed pickles pearl onions are very good braised or for the preparation of sauces.