What Makes Vidalia Onions Sweet?

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Vidalia onion season is upon us. The sweet onions hit shelves Friday. / Flickr

Get your peelers ready: Vidalia onions arrive in grocery stores Friday. 

A sweet onion you "can eat like an apple," the Vidalia onion grows only in south Georgia. It's been the official state vegetable since 1990. There's even a Vidalia Onion Festival, kicking off its 41st celebration next week with a carnival, multiple cook-offs, recipe contests and a Miss Vidalia Onion Pageant.

On Second Thought host Adam Ragusea speaks with Delbert Bland of Bland Farms.

But what makes this onion so special that it gets its own festival — and legislation declaring it Georgia's official state vegetable? 

We asked Delbert Bland of Bland Farms in Glennville, Georgia. He's been in the Vidalia business for decades and told us about the history and science beneath the onion's layers.