Onions under 8oz

This is a good class to enter if you haven't got the facilities (as I haven't really) to try and grow the larger onions to compete against the 'big boys'.

I grow a variety called 'Tasco' and the key is to harvest them all at the same circumference in the hope that they will all come in under the 8oz mark. An added complication (thanks to metrication) is that some shows specify a maximum weight of 250 grammes which equates to 8.8 ounces! Therefore a compromise has to be reached until the schedule makers get their arses into gear so I settle at 225grammes which is just under 8oz.

Over the years I have learn to harvest Tasco at 26cms around in order to achieve this weight after drying and tying.

Other good varities to grow for this class are Toughball/Buffalo/Carlo/Canto/Marco and Bristol. However, each variety will have different circumferences at which it would be best to harvest them for the optimum weight.

The way I arrived at 26cms for Tasco was by taking one up when it reached say 28cms and weighing it after I had cut the tops and trimmed the roots. This told me that it was too heavy and that I needed to harvest at a smaller size.

The onions will not all 'arrive' at 26cms at the same time so you need to have the tape measure handy over a period of 2 or 3 weeks and harvest them as they reach your required size. They then have any loose skins removed, are washed, dried, dusted with talc and stored in newspaper or on beds of sawdust in a cool place such as a shed or garage out of the sun.

This needs to take place about 3 to 4 weeks before the first show so that they go a nice golden brown colour that the judges like. Trim the tops and tie with raffia and display on plates of dry sand in a simple arrangement like the pic above.

I've actually won 'best veg in show' awards with these onions when competing against all the other large onions, huge leeks and long roots. So you see.....if you can spend a little effort getting them to look good then you can compete against the 'big boys'.