Ebenezer Onion

A popular onion in the Northeast and Upper Midwest because of its winter keeping qualities, it was introduced by the Amana Inspirationists during their sojourn at Ebenezer, New York. Oral tradition has it that huge surpluses in the Ebenezer kitchen gardens resulted in the sale of this onion on the nearby Buffalo, NY, market. Its popularity was quickly established because of its superb keeping qualities over winter. It is occasionally still available through such well-known firms as Burpee Seeds. Whether its counterpart in Germany still survives is not known.

Culture is identical to other varieties. (Onion production is a three-stage process. Mature onions planted in spring produce seed, which is harvested in summer. The following spring, the seed is planted to its thickness and produces small onions called “sets.” These are harvested in late summer and stored in a cool, dark place over winter. Sets planted the next spring produce mature onions.) The mature onion is yellow, of medium size, and has a semi-mild flavor.