Onion Ailsa Craig

The exhibition onion — and one of the finest for flavour. Onion Ailsa Craig is a Scottish heritage variety producing large, straw-golden, globe-shaped bulbs with a mild, sweet flavour that is outstanding raw in salads and cooked in soups, stews, and French onion soup. One of the most reliable and productive onions available from seed.

• Allium cepa 'Ailsa Craig' — Hardy Annual (Scottish heritage)
• Sow: January–March indoors; plant out April–May; harvest: August–September
• Full sun; rich, well-drained soil
• Sow thinly, thin to 10cm; harvest when tops fall over
• Mild, sweet flavour — outstanding raw and cooked
• Dry thoroughly before storing — stores 3–4 months