When a buyer asks for a Rijnsburger type onion, they are really asking for a specific set of traits: firmness, a strong skin and long storage. It is the most popular yellow onion type in European trade and the basis of our entire crop. In this post we explain exactly what the type means, where it came from and why we rely on it.
What is the Rijnsburger type
Rijnsburger is not a variety but a whole type of onion. The name describes a group of varieties with shared traits: a round shape, firm flesh, a straw-gold, well-fitting skin and very good storage life. It is a long-day onion that matures in the second half of summer, intended mainly for storage rather than eating straight from the field.
Where the Rijnsburger type came from
The type originates in the Netherlands, around the town of Rijnsburg, known for onion growing and breeding. Dutch breeders have selected onions for storage life and uniformity for generations, because the country is one of the world's largest onion exporters. Today Rijnsburger is the global standard for a yellow storage onion. For us it is a natural choice, because our Żuławy silt soils resemble the Dutch polders in their parameters.
Traits of a Rijnsburger type onion
| Trait | What it means |
|---|---|
| Shape | round, uniform |
| Flesh | firm, dense |
| Skin | straw-gold, strong, well-fitting |
| Pungency | distinct, typical of a storage onion |
| Storage life | very good, many months in the store |
| Use | storage, processing, peeling, fresh market |
How it differs from other onion types
Not every onion is suited to long storage. Thin-skinned, early onions harvested in summer are good straight from the field, but they soften and sprout quickly. The Rijnsburger type is the opposite: it matures later and has a thicker, stronger skin, and it is that skin that lets it withstand transport and months in the store. That is why in B2B trade, where year-round availability matters, this type is the standard.
Why our entire onion programme is built on it
The backbone of our onions is the Rijnsburger type. We grow onions on ~250 ha. We chose this type because it combines three things our buyers look for: high yield, uniform size and the storage life that lets us sell onions for many months after harvest. A firm, well-skinned onion also withstands sorting and transport with fewer defects.
The Rijnsburger type and storage
A strong skin and dense flesh are the main reason this type keeps so long. After harvest we dry the onions for 2 to 4 days, close the neck and remove excess moisture, then keep them in our own store with a capacity of around 13,000 tonnes. This lets us manage sales over time and ship the goods when the buyer needs them. We write more about this in our guide to storing onions.
What the Rijnsburger type gives a B2B buyer
For packers and processors, consistency and storage life are what count. A Rijnsburger type onion delivers a uniform, large size that peels and sorts well, plus a skin that protects the onion through the supply chain. Which size suits which use we set out in our post on onion size for processing. Our onions go to large buyers such as Onix, who in turn supply the largest retail chains and processing plants in Poland and Europe.
Our Rijnsburger type varieties
Within the Rijnsburger type we grow yellow onions in the Hybelle F1 and Hysinger F1 varieties, plus Hyfive, Nation, Revelation and Bingo. Hybelle is our lead variety, valued for firmness and storage life, while Hysinger delivers an exceptionally large size for peeling. We compare them in a separate post on yellow onion varieties. How we grow these onions in Żuławy is described in our guide to our crop.
Looking for a Rijnsburger type onion in a specific size? Get in touch through our contact page or see our onion offer.
