# Peeled onions or onions in the skin: what to choose for processing

Peeled onions or onions in the skin: how they differ, who each suits, and what raw material goes for peeling. Large caliber, firm varieties, sorting.

Peeled onions or onions in the skin, that is one of the first questions an industrial buyer asks. The answer depends on where the onions are headed and how quickly they will be used. We grow about 250 hectares of onions in Żuławy and supply them in the skin, as raw material for packhouses and plants that peel them further down the line. In this post we explain the difference and show what kind of produce is suited for peeling.

## Peeled onions versus onions in the skin, what is the difference

Onions in the skin are produce in their natural, dry wrapper. That is how we harvest them from the field, dry them down and pack them. The dry skin protects the flesh, extends shelf life and lets us keep onions for months. Peeled onions are the same raw material with the skin removed and the root base cut off, usually vacuum packed and kept cold. They lose their natural protection, so they have a short shelf life and go to quick use.

In short: onions in the skin are produce for storage and further processing, while peeled onions are a semi-finished product ready to go straight to the kitchen or the production line.

| Feature | Onions in the skin | Peeled onions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Flesh protection | dry skin, natural | none, vacuum packing |
| Shelf life | months in storage | days, refrigerated only |
| Who for | packhouses, processing, retail | foodservice, food production |
| Our role | we grow and supply | we supply raw material for peeling |

## Who buys peeled onions

Peeled onions are mainly bought by customers who want to save time and cut waste on their own site: foodservice, catering, deli producers and ready-meal makers. For them, washing, peeling and disposing of the skin fall away. They pay for convenience and consistency.

We do not peel onions ourselves. That is done by specialist peeling plants and processors, often fitted with lines for peeling, cutting and vacuum packing. Our job comes earlier: to supply them raw material that peels well and leaves little waste. That is the role of a B2B supplier, which we describe in more detail in our post on [wholesale onions for packhouses and processing](/blog/cebula-hurt-dostawca).

## Which onions peel well

Not every onion is suited for peeling. A plant that peels by machine looks at three things: caliber, shape and a dry, closed neck. The bigger and more uniform the onion, the less waste and the faster the line runs.

| Parameter | What matters for peeling |
| --- | --- |
| Caliber | large, ideally 60-80 mm and up |
| Shape | round, uniform, shallow root bases |
| Skin and neck | dry, well closed, no moisture |
| Soundness | firm, no rot or damage |

That is why for peeling we mainly direct the large, even caliber of firm yellow varieties. Hysinger F1 works well here, an onion with a large, uniform bulb. How caliber is matched to different uses, we break down in our post on [onion caliber for processing](/blog/jaki-kaliber-cebuli-do-przetworstwa).

## How we prepare raw material for peeling

Onions for peeling must be sound and uniform, because every defect means waste and downtime on the customer's line. That is why we work on quality from field to shipment.

We start with the variety and the soil. Firm Rijnsburger-type varieties on the Żuławy silt soils grow into large, well-wrapped bulbs, and yields reach around 60 tonnes per hectare. After harvest we dry the onions down until the neck closes, and only then do they go into storage for about 13,000 tonnes. Before shipment, every batch goes onto the DOWNS CropVision optical sorter, which uses cameras and AI to scan each onion in 360 degrees and rejects stones, clods of soil and defective bulbs, at up to 100 tonnes per hour. How this sorting works, we show in our post on the [optical sorter](/blog/sortownik-optyczny-downs-cropvision).

{% callout tone="info" %}
For peeling, what counts is not the average quality of a batch but the absence of exceptions. A single rotten or misshapen bulb on the line means lost time and raw material for the customer. That is why we sort optically, bulb by bulb.
{% /callout %}

## Onions in the skin, produce made for storage

For most wholesale customers, onions in the skin are the mainstay. They have a longer shelf life, easier logistics and a lower cost to prepare. We pack them in breathable packaging: loose, big bags and mesh sacks, chosen to fit the customer and the mode of transport. The dry skin means the onions handle transport and time in storage, and thanks to our own storage we supply them all year round, not only in the harvest season.

You will find the full range of yellow and red varieties in our [onion offer](/oferta/cebula). If you are looking for onions for a specific process, tell us where they are headed and we will match the variety and caliber.

## What this means for the customer

The choice between peeled onions and onions in the skin is always a trade-off: convenience versus shelf life and cost. If you use onions quickly and want to save labour, peeled makes sense, but it needs cold storage and short deadlines. If you need steady deliveries, warehousing and a lower price per kilo, you choose onions in the skin and leave the peeling to your own line or a peeling plant.

Whichever way you go, the starting point is the same: sound, well-sorted raw material. We run the farm to GlobalG.A.P., GRASP, FSA Gold (Farm Sustainability Assessment) and GMP+ certification and the principles of Integrated Plant Production, and we test every batch for pesticide residues, heavy metals and substances hazardous to health. For a plant that peels and sells on, that means peace of mind and compliance with its own customers' requirements.

## Frequently asked questions about peeled onions and onions in the skin

### Do you sell peeled onions?
We supply onions in the skin, as raw material for packhouses and plants that peel them on their own site. We do not do the peeling ourselves, but we select produce so that it peels well: large, even caliber and a dry, closed neck.

### Which onions are best suited for peeling?
A large, uniform caliber of firm yellow varieties, for example Hysinger F1, with a round shape and shallow root bases. Onions like this leave little waste and let the line run faster.

### Why do peeled onions have a short shelf life?
Because they lose the dry skin that protects the flesh. Without it, onions dry out and spoil faster, which is why they are vacuum packed and kept cold for quick use.

### What onion caliber for peeling?
Large is best, in the 60-80 mm range and above. Bigger onions mean less waste during peeling and better line throughput.

### How do you deliver onions in the skin?
In breathable packaging: loose, in big bags and mesh sacks. We match the format and caliber to the customer and the logistics.

### Are onions available all year round?
Yes. Thanks to drying and storage for about 13,000 tonnes, we supply onions of consistent quality all year round, not only in the harvest season.

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Need onions for peeling or in the skin, in consistent quality and with certification? Write to us through our [contact page](/kontakt) and we will match the variety, caliber and delivery format. We calculate the price based on current market rates.