What are scallions?

“Scallions” is another name for green onions. They are young onions that were harvested before maturity.  Their long white base is the beginning of a bulb that hasn’t fully developed.  Their long green stalks look like chives.  Both parts are edible. The taste is milder than mature onions but stronger than chives.  They may be cooked, either whole or chopped. However, most are used raw in salads or as a tasty, decorative topper, substituting for chives.

How do you keep them from spoiling? Chowhound (listed below) has several suggestions involving wrapping them in paper toweling. 

Source(s):

About.com   Home Cooking: “What are scallions?”

http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookingfaqs/f/faqscallions.htm

Chowhound  “Storing Green Onions/Scallions”

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/379826