Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Egyptian Walking Onions

These are one of the darlings of my garden. I adore onions and use them in just about everything recipe. Spring onions, or scallions, are quite expensive, so having a bed of them in the garden is a money-saving project for me. This is made even easier by having Egyptian Walking Onions well-established in one of the raised beds. They "walk" by reseeding themselves at the end of the season. As they mature through the summer they create a bulb cluster at the top of one of the shoots. These will drop off and start new onions.



The unusual bulb cluster does give these onions a rather alien look. Instead of letting the bulbs drop on their own, I harvest them once they mature and plant them where I want them. Some of my neighbors have found them wandering all over the place.

They are the first thing up and ready to eat in the spring. I have already been using them this year. Until they begin to develop the bulb cluster they look like any other scallions, though they can grow surprisingly large. They never become a bulb onion. I have discovered that if you do not pick them, they will also divide over the winter. This left me with an amazing yield for this spring.

If you can add this wonderful vegetable to your garden, I highly recommend it. If you know anyone with these plants they are likely willing to share to get your garden started. If not you can order them at EyptianWalkingOnion.com.

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