This article by the late columnist Lewis Grizzard was originally published Aug. 12, 1988
Whenever I am confronted by atheists, I simply make the point that if there weren't a God and he (or she) didn't love us, there wouldn't be such a thing as the beloved Vidalia onion.
Think about it: Vidalia onions, which are sweet and mild, grow only in a small part of southeast Georgia.
Some have tried to duplicate the Vidalia in other parts of the country, but to no avail.
God, I am convinced, was traveling through what was to become southeast Georgia during the six days of creation and said, "Let there be a sweet, mild onion, and let it grow here and here only."
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
It was just another of the many blessings God gave us, such as spring, cool breezes, the beach and frequent-flyer points.
I must admit, however, that I have had a problem with Vidalia onions over the years. I usually buy them in great quantities.
Now Here Is the Secret
I am afraid if I don't, someone will get control of Vidalias and send the price up so far I can't buy them any more.
My problem is that I can't eat my onions fast enough, and some of my supply turn funny colors and begin to smell.
I absolutely abhor throwing out spoiled Vidalia onions, so I set about to find a way to keep them fresh for long periods of time.
Finally, I have the answer.
Friends invited me to dinner recently and delicious baked Vidalia onions were served.
During the meal, I asked, "Do you have a problem keeping your Vidalias fresh?"
"Of course not," the husband answered. "I've got 50 pounds of them stored right now. I'll be eating Vidalia onions all winter. The best way to keep Vidalias," he went on, "is to put them in pantyhose."
All the Way Down to the Toes
"Pantyhose?"
"Yes," the wife explained. "You take a pair of pantyhose and cut off the top part.
"Then you put an onion all the way to the place where your foot goes. Then you tie a knot just above that onion and put in another on top if it. When the pantyhose are full of onions, you hang them up somewhere and they stay absolutely fresh.
"What you are doing is keeping the onions from touching one another, which is one reason they go bad if you leave them stored in say, a sack."
"I hope you don't mind if I tell the rest of the nation about this in a column," I said to my friends.
"Fine, but I don't believe you should mention us by name," said the husband, while his wife was not in the room.
"It could be a little embarrassing if you wrote that my wife could get 50 pounds of Vidalia onions in a pair of her pantyhose.
I put my hand on what was left of my baked Vidalia and swore I would be discreet.
About the Author
