Onion Long Red Florence is an attractive old Italian heirloom variety that produces elongated, torpedo-shaped onions with a beautiful deep purple to reddish-purple skin. The firm, juicy flesh has an exceptionally mild, slightly sweet flavour with hardly any sharp or bitter notes. This makes it an extremely versatile onion, equally suitable for both raw and cooked dishes. The young plants can be harvested early as spring onions, while the fully mature bulbs are excellent as storage onions. The bulbs also store well.
Thanks to its mild, sweet flavour, Long Red Florence is ideal for fresh use. Thin slices add a crisp texture and delicate onion flavour to salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, hot dogs, bruschetta and carpaccio without overpowering the other ingredients. It is also delicious in salsas, chutneys, relishes, coleslaw, potato salad, bean salads and Mediterranean salads with tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta cheese. Its attractive reddish-purple colour also provides beautiful contrast and presentation.
When cooked, Long Red Florence develops an even richer, sweeter flavour. It is perfect when gently sautéed as the base for soups, sauces, curries, risotto, paella, stews and pasta sauces. It also retains its mild character when roasted, grilled on the barbecue, stuffed, caramelised or used in quiches, savoury pies, pizzas, casseroles and omelettes. The elongated bulbs are especially suitable for cutting into attractive, even rings for onion rings or as a garnish.
Long Red Florence pairs beautifully with beef, pork, chicken, lamb, game, fish and shellfish. It also complements cheeses such as mozzarella, Parmesan, goat's cheese, feta and mature cheeses. In vegetarian dishes it combines wonderfully with aubergine, courgette, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, mushrooms, spinach and legumes. Herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley and chives enhance its delicate flavour, as do garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey and lemon. Non hardy annual.
Indoor sowing: March - April
Outdoor sowing: June - August
Germination: 10 - 12 days
Germination temp.: 9 - 15 °C
Sowing depth: 1 - 1½ cm
Planting distance: 12 cm
Distance between the rows: 30 - 45 cm
Planting position: sunny
Harvesting period: September - October
Indoor sowing can begin from March to April in trays filled with moist potting compost. Sow the seeds thinly at a depth of 1 - 1½ cm. Cover the seeds with a layer of seed compost, as onions require darkness for germination. Keep the temperature as constant as possible, especially at night, and keep the compost evenly moist. From April onwards, once there is no longer any risk of frost, transplant the seedlings outdoors to a sunny site with well-drained soil. Trim the tops of the seedlings to about 8 cm and plant them approximately 6 cm deep. Keep the soil moist and free of weeds.
Outdoor sowing is possible from June onwards, once the soil has warmed up. Sow thinly in rows spaced 30 - 45 cm apart at a depth of 1 - 1½ cm. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, as onions germinate best in darkness. Thin the seedlings to 12 cm apart when they are about 15 cm tall. Keep the soil moist and weed-free.
Harvest the onions when the tops have turned brown and dried. Lift the bulbs carefully from the soil. Onions grow best in fertile, moisture-retentive soil enriched with compost. Do not sow or plant onions where onions have been grown during the previous four years. Strongly scented companion plants such as chamomile, summer savory and carrots may help deter onion flies. Allow the harvested onions to dry thoroughly before storing them in a cool, dry and dark place. Under these conditions, they can be stored for about one month.
