Cipolla di Giarratana - Giarratana Onion

End of summer also means the wonderful Giarratana onions, a real delicacy of our summer are getting out of season.
The good thing is that I managed to freez a good quantity and my mother produced one of her amazing onion jam that will preserve the sweet taste of Giarratana onions on our "arrosti" throughout winter.

The cultivation of this kind of onion started in the Giarratana area about 40 years ago and it is now a summer food appointment that you cannot miss in this area of Sicily.
There is a Sagra taking place around the 14th of August and there are small trucks and typical three wheels "moto ape" selling onions in the corner of the streets throughout the province.

With big bulbs weighing anything between 500gr and 2Kg, it has a thick pulp which is crunchy and juicy eaten row in a tomato salad or creamy and sweet if you use it in a cassarole dish. It is also great cooked in the oven with breadcrumbs and herbs or boiled with cucuzza and served with olive oil, vinegar and oregano.

As I said, my mother makes a greate jam with it that we serve on meat. Recipe books usually suggest to make it with the great, purple Tropea onion, if you have a chance try to make it with both types. Both delicious though very different.

In the pictures you can compare it to the size and colour of other types of more common onions.

Here is a video of the Sagra della Cipolla in Giarratana, enjoy it.