Bulb Onion
New York Early Onion is a small-to-medium yellow heirloom variety that traces its roots to the black dirt farms of Orange County, New York, where it was maintained by generations of local growers before being preserved and shared by seed savers like Jay Armour of Four Winds Farm. These long-day onions reach maturity in about 100 days and develop outstanding keeping qualities, staying firm and flavorful well into late winter when other varieties have faded. Their mild taste and versatile character make them equally at home raw in a salad or softened in a slow-cooked dish, and their compact size (reaching just 18 inches tall with a 2-3 inch bulb diameter) fits neatly into smaller garden spaces.
Full Sun
Moderate
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18in H x 3in W
Annual
Moderate
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What sets New York Early apart is its remarkable ability to store, these onions actually improve with time, developing sweeter, milder flavor as winter progresses when most other varieties are sprouting or deteriorating. Bred and maintained by New York farmers who understood the rhythm of a long growing season, this variety thrives when direct sown in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, making it less fussy than many heirloom onions that demand precise greenhouse timing. The mild, all-purpose character means you're growing something genuinely useful rather than ornamental, a vegetable that performs as reliably in February as it does in September.
New York Early Onions excel as all-purpose cooking and raw onions, their mild flavor making them approachable for those who find sharper varieties harsh. Their exceptional storage qualities mean they're particularly valuable for late-winter cooking, when fresh onions from previous seasons are hard to find, they soften beautifully in long-braised dishes, caramelize evenly in soups, and remain crisp enough for fresh salads even in February or March. The mild character also makes them suitable for anyone preserving onions at home or storing them through the winter months.
Direct sow seeds in early spring as soon as soil can be worked. While traditional greenhouse starting in mid-February followed by April transplanting is possible, direct sowing is recommended as the preferred method for this variety, reducing the need for greenhouse space and producing vigorous, well-adjusted plants.
Harvest when the tops naturally yellow and flop over, typically around 100 days from sowing. Cure the bulbs in a dry, well-ventilated location for a week or two before removing the dried tops and storing, which develops their exceptional keeping qualities and mellows the flavor further.
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“New York Early Onion carries within it the agricultural memory of Orange County's black dirt farmers, who for generations selected and maintained this variety for the specific growing conditions and storage demands of the northeastern United States. The seed line was preserved and brought forward by Jay Armour of Four Winds Farm, whose preference for direct sowing rather than greenhouse seedling production represents a modern understanding of how this heirloom performs best. The variety embodies a particular place and time, the pragmatic knowledge of farmers who needed onions that would store reliably through a long winter without fancy equipment, selected generation after generation for exactly that trait.”