I don't think this thread will be very controversial, but who knows?

For about a year or more now, it's been nearly impossible to buy red onions in my area. They always seem to be rotting on the shelves and just generally look terrible.

As you might know, I live in the northern Virginia area, just outside DC. Produce on the east coast is nothing compared to what you get someplace like California, but usually we're able to get pretty fresh stuff flown in from lots of places. But for some reason red onions are different and never look good in any store we go to. We've looked in 6-7 different grocery stores from four different chains over the past year, and it's always been a problem.

Does anyone else see this too? Was there a diseased crop or something?

Is this a recent issue in your area? I haven't bought red onions in a while, but in the past they've been just as fresh/firm as any others we can get a hold of.

Over here in the UK, I do tend to find the red onions more often turn out to be sub par than non-red ones. So I'm guessing that they don't store as well.

I say it's been a year, but that's mostly just going from memory. Sometimes I'm able to find a red onion that's good enough, or looks like maybe just the outer layers are not great, but I don't recall the last time I've gone to the grocery section of a store near me and found an entire batch of really good red onions.

It's terrible, I love red onions...

West coast, here, and I can't say I've noticed a problem.

East coast here, and I can't say that I've ever seen a red onion in this country. Produce selection leaves much to be desired here.

Interesting. Is it not just a different kind of produce? Or is it just not good? I guess I shouldn't complain, as other produce is pretty easy to come by. At least the normal stuff is. I read what sounds like a really great recipe for roasted "delicata squash," but while I've looked for it, I've never once seen it anywhere around here.

Something like that is unlikely to be in a grocery store -- it doesn't have a long season, and it doesn't store well. Your best bet is to find a farmer's market, or a produce stand out in the country somewhere.

True, though apparently it's mostly a fall/winter item, and that's when all the farmer's markets close down around here

Any farms out there that do u-pick pumpkins for Halloween? Often times, those will have other squash varieties, too.