On 8/1/2026, Aylus volunteers went to Bayard Cutting Arboretum from 9:30am to 12:00am (2.5 hours).
Following the garlic harvest, today we’re back at the farm in Bayard Cutting Arboretum. This morning, we’re harvesting and curing onions.
Unlike garlic, onions can be easier to pull out because they’re not buried underground. However, the volunteers need to pay attention to not mix up the different varieties. There’re three types of onions: white onions, red onions, and shallots. White onions look tender green and have a reddish-brown coating; red onions look purple instead of red. Shallots, on the other hand, also have a purplish-magenta color. However, unlike the other two types of onions, shallots are not as round: they look rather “slender”. Also, they are more delicate and melt down quicker when cooked.
One other volunteer worked in the greenhouse to cure the onions collected. The onions were separated depending on the variety and laid out on the table with the bulb on the bottom, green stem on the top. Curing dries the onions’ skin, which sanitizes and makes the onions easier to process with.
Members who participated include:
Felicia Liu (2.5h),
Yingxiang Liu (2.5h),
Yuya Liu (2.5h),
Annabella Kang (2.5h),
Eric Hu (2.5h)
Reporter: Felicia Liu
