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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: CityChick on January 31, 2007, 09:00:43

Title: pink onion recommendation wanted
Post by: CityChick on January 31, 2007, 09:00:43
I picked up some pink onions, "rose de roscoff", from the supermarket the other day (note to self, grow a LOT more onions next year ;) )

I thought it was quite a nice mild onion and went well in salads.  Google tells me they are a french onion which can only come from a certain area in France ie the name is protected.  So you can't buy rose de roscoff seeds as such.  But they obviously sow seeds to grow the onions so I was just wondering if anyone knew what they were, or could recommend a simillar nice mild pink onion to grow.

Thanks :)
Title: Re: pink onion recommendation wanted
Post by: jennym on January 31, 2007, 11:44:47
That onion sounds interesting CityChick, not heard of it. maybe you can buy it under a different name. Of course, unscrupulous people would plant the onions they'd bought in about April, let them grow and let them go to seed, and save the seed. They could then sow the seed the following spring.
Title: Re: pink onion recommendation wanted
Post by: CityChick on January 31, 2007, 15:57:00
Hmmm.... who would do that I wonder ::) 

Onion "Rosé de Milton Keynes" next year perhaps then :D  Nah, its just not got the same ring to it  :( ;D
Title: Re: pink onion recommendation wanted
Post by: supersprout on January 31, 2007, 16:18:50
according to the Sue Strickland heritage book, this was the very onion which brought the lads in stripey t-shirts and berets over on their bikes to start the French onion-sellers' invasion between the Wars :)
Title: Re: pink onion recommendation wanted
Post by: HappyCatz on March 07, 2007, 09:34:09
CityChick, if you are still interested, then Sarah Raven has got a pink onion which sounds just like rose de roscoff [can't remember the name off hand].
I too tried some rose onions last year and thought they were delicious but was unable to find any seeds until sarah's new catalogue popped through the door.  Try this link:
www.thecuttinggarden.com
I am waiting for mine to arrive :)
Title: Re: pink onion recommendation wanted
Post by: Jeannine on March 07, 2007, 17:28:11
Franchi do one, it is an Italian red,but they describe it has having a translucent skin so it looks pink, very mild,I think it is called Savonese Rossa,might be similar,XX Jeannine
Title: Re: pink onion recommendation wanted
Post by: norfolklass on March 07, 2007, 17:33:37
bought some of that nice Mr Fothergill's 'Rossa lunga di Firenze' seeds at lunch time.
blurb on the back of the packet says:

"This unusual bottle-shaped onion has tasty sweet flesh and red skin. It can be treated as a salad onion, although it keeps better than many of that type."

will send you some if you'd like to try them?