Variety

Red Baron

Intensely coloured, moderately sweet — the finest red onion for kitchen gardens

Red Baron is the standard-setting red onion variety for UK kitchen gardens — producing deep burgundy-red bulbs with a rich, slightly sweet flavour and stunning visual impact. The colour is more intense than supermarket red onions and holds better when cooked. An excellent all-round red onion for fresh use in salads, pickling, and grilling.

Flavour

Moderately pungent with a good sweetness and a beautiful full-flavoured red onion character. Less sharp than white onions when raw. The anthocyanins that create the colour also contribute a slightly earthy, complex note. When grilled, the red colour becomes a vivid, almost magenta char that is visually spectacular.

In the kitchen

Outstanding grilled — halved and cooked cut-side down on a hot grill until caramelised and charred at the edges. The colour deepens dramatically with heat. Excellent in a fresh salad, quick-pickled in red wine vinegar, or slow-roasted until collapsed and sweet. Pickled red onion is one of the essential BBQ condiments for pulled pork and tacos.

Growing

Plant sets in March–April in the same way as yellow onions. Red onions are generally a little smaller than yellow varieties and store for slightly less time (4–6 months). The skins should be deep burgundy-red at harvest — if colour is pale, they've been grown in shade or poor conditions. Cure thoroughly before storing.