Oh, they do make me cry! But onions are loaded with so much goodness, the tears I shed upon peeling them are tears of joy. Like my grandma, I am always singing the praises of onions, the best vegetable for taking the chill out of winter dining, warding off cold weather illness, treating everyday ailments, and keeping the body in good working order.

I believe that onions are a most versatile vegetable, and a staple no kitchen should ever be without. Almost every savoury recipe needs a touch of onion to give it a little extra depth and flavour.
Grandma, who was a well-respected herbalist in the rural woods where I grew up, said that increasing one’s intake of onions boosts the immune system­­ – a healthy bonus during cold weather months. According to her teachings, raw onions aid digestion and flush impurities from the system.

In her handwritten doctoring journals, grandma recorded many Old World onion-based remedies for cold and flu, bronchitis, fever, poor circulation, and aching joints, as well as preventive remedies for osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and even various cancers. I still rely on many of her trusty remedies, which is why I keep lots of onions close at hand.

Every fall I put a huge stash of cooking onions in my root cellar. Whenever my vegetable crisper is running low on fresh, store-bought vegetables, I simply turn to onions to fill the bill as the salad course or the main vegetable event for the day. Or I'll work them into a tasty dish that can stand alone as a full meal.

For those who don't grow a huge patch of onions in the backyard garden, as my grandparents did, it's easy and economical to buy a bushel of locally grown onions at the farmer's market and stow them for safekeeping. If you don’t have a root cellar, simply store them in a cool, dry place. They will keep for months. I store mine in airy wicker baskets and burlap sacks, which allow them to breathe.

In the recipes that follow, I'm talking about common cooking onions – the ones with yellow skins, firm flesh, and hot, pungent flavour and aroma. These are the ones that make your eyes and mouth water at the same time!

While Spanish, red, Vidalia, Walla Walla, or other larger onions belonging to the allium cepa family (of which there are over 300 species) can be used in any of the recipes below, I prefer to use locally grown cooking onions, which are more potent than the sweet red- or white-fleshed ones mentioned above. They are the best to use for medicinal purposes, and are less expensive than the specialized and imported types.

So now it's time to shed a few happy tears for onions. Below are some of grandma's old remedies, plus a few of my favourite ways to enjoy onions at the table.