Vidalia Onions Are Back In Casper For A limited Time

It only happens once per year, and you don't want to miss it.

The Casper Shrine Club's annual Vidalia Onion sale.

The Shrine Club is dedicated to raising funds that benefit Shriners Hospital for Children. One way they do that is by holding fundraising events, like the annual Vidalia Onion sale, to help the club continue its mission of helping children receive life-changing (and life-saving) care at the hospital.

Last year, the sale was in June, but because of a few issues, the Shrine Club decided to bring it back to Mother's Day Weekend.  Craig Warner says the onions this year look great.

The  2024 shipment of sweet Vidalia onions showed up earlier this week, direct from Bland Farms in Georgia. Over 60,000 pounds of onions came to Wyoming and Rapid City, SD, and a whopping 14,000 pounds came to Casper.

That means it's time to sell, and Saturday is the day.

On Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Shrine Club will be at nine locations around Casper, selling its supply of onions, 10 pounds at a time.

• Sutherlands
• Sportsmans Warehouse
• ACE Hardware on CY Ave
• Menards
• Family Dollar in Bar Nunn
• Peterbilt Lot in Mills across from the Beacon Club
• Corner of 12th and Beverly
• Greiner Ford
• Paradise Valley Liquor

Beginning Monday, you can get your onions at the Casper Shrine Club, 1501 West 39th St in Casper, starting at 9 a.m. Then, on Wednesday, May 15, if there are still onions left, the Shrine Club will head to Glenrock and Douglas from noon to 5 p.m.

There's a good chance you're not going to eat all 10 pounds of Vidalia onions at once, so knowing how to store them is important. With proper storage, your onions can last for quite a bit longer.

Store onions in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area.

• In refrigerator:
  • Ensure the onions are dry, then wrap them individually in tissue paper, paper towel, or newspaper before placing them in the cold.
    • Cut onions will be kept for several days if sealed in plastic bags or containers and refrigerated.
• In a dry, well-ventilated area:
  • Place onion in the legs of sheer pantyhose, tie a knot between each onion, and hang it. Cut the knot when you want an onion.
    • Do not wrap the onions in plastic or store them in plastic bags. Lack of air will reduce shelf life.
• In Freezer:
  • Chop onion and place on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When frozen, remove and place in a freezer bag or container and seal.
    • Freezing changes the onion's texture. Frozen onions should be used in cooking only. Whole frozen Vidalia onions can be baked.

There are many great recipes for Vidalia onions. Including Craig Warner's Onion Pie:

• 3-5 Onions
• 2 3/4 Sticks Butter
• Flour
• Milk
• spices (salt, pepper, seasoning salt, tobasco...etc)
• 1 pound of Velveeta Cheese
• Ritz Crackers
• 9x9 baking dish

Crush Ritz crackers, add 1/2 package to 3/4 stick of butter to make your crust in the 9x9 baking dish.

Cut onions into pieces and saute with a stick of butter. Season the onions to your liking.

In a separate pan, melt another stick of butter. Add flour and milk to make a thick, white sauce. Add cheese and melt until smooth. Add sauteed onions to the cheese sauce. Pour the mixture onto the crust in the baking dish. Crush the leftover cracker on top and bake at 350 degrees for approximately one hour.

For more recipes, check out the Bland Farms website. Happy cooking.