Onions are a must-have seasoning in the kitchen, and because onions are easy to store, they will be available year-round. If you grow onions yourself and store them, you can cross them off your shopping list for the future. Learn how to choose onions for storage and how to create the right conditions for storing them so that you can preserve their flavor and nutrition for up to ten months.
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Method 1 of 4: Selecting Onions to Save
Step 1. Save the last season's onions
The onions you harvest in the spring and summer unfortunately don't last long enough to store. These onions should be eaten within a few weeks of being harvested. Save the onions you harvest in the fall, as they can last a long time through the winter.
- If you grow your own onions, save the ones you planted during the spring.
- Onions are ready to be harvested for storage in late summer or early fall, when the tops of the plants begin to fall and dry out.
Step 2. Save the pungent-smelling onions
Strong-smelling onions have more sulfur compounds than onions that don't have a strong smell. It is this compound that causes your eyes to water when you cut them, which also helps preserve onions during the winter. Onions that don't have a strong smell don't have this kind of self-preservation system and should be eaten a few weeks after harvesting. The following varieties of onions can be stored well in the long term:
- Yellow onions such as ebenezer, yellow globe, downing yellow globe, and yellow globe danvers.
- White onions like southport white globes. This type of onion can only be stored if the neck is small.
- Red onions such as Wethersfield and Southport Red Globe.
Method 2 of 4: Preparing Onions for Storage
Step 1. Dry the onion skin
After the onions are harvested, spread them in an area with good airflow so the skins can harden. Don't cut the leaves. Allow the onions to dry for two to four weeks.
- Dry the onions in a place away from sunlight and moisture. Sunlight can spoil the taste of onions and make them bitter. Cover the top where you dry the onions like a tarp. The environment in which you dry your onions should be dry, warm and breezy.
- Onions are finished drying when the stems are no longer green. The skin of the onion will shrivel around the stem and wrap tightly around the onion.
Step 2. Chop the onions
Once the stems are completely dry, use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the roots of the onion.
- Discard any onions that still have green stems at this point, as well as any onions that have bruises or torn skin.
- Cut the leaves at least 2.5 cm above the tuber or leave them whole and tie the leaves together.
Method 3 of 4: Setting Up the Storage
Step 1. Choose a cool, dark place to store the onions
This place should have a temperature that is maintained between 4 - 10 degrees Celsius. Many people choose to store their onions in the cupboard in the onion room. If the place is too warm, your onions will start sprouting. If the location you choose is too cold, your onions will start to rot.
Step 2. Keep the onion storage bin dry
Onions absorb moisture very easily, and getting wet in the air will cause your onions to rot. The humidity level of the storage area should be maintained between 65 - 70 percent.
Step 3. Make sure the onion storage area has good airflow
Keeping airflow around the onions will prevent them from getting moldy and rotting.
- To provide good airflow, hang onions in a hollow basket, mesh bag or old stockings.
- If you choose to use your old stockings as a place to store your onions, tie a knot around each bulb. Using the bulb from the base, snip off the outside of the onion under the knot so that the onion on top is secure. You can also use wire or rope between the onions to separate them from each other.
Step 4. Try storing onions in old stockings
Yes, right. In old stockings. Tie the bottom of the stockings, put the onions on top, and tie the stockings right over the top. Put some more onions in it and repeat until your old stockings are full of onions.
Storing onions this way will allow them to breathe properly. The moisture it creates will touch and evaporate immediately, so the onions will last longer
Method 4 of 4: Using Preserved Onions
Step 1. Use the thick-necked tubers first
Thick-necked bulbs are the oldest onions and won't last as long as younger, smaller ones.
Step 2. Check your onion stash regularly
Take the time to check your onions. Discard onions that have started to rot.
- You can still eat onions that have started to sprout. You only need to remove the green part before using it in cooking.
- If your onions are slimy or discolored, don't eat them. #*Save some bulbs for you to replant in the spring.
Step 3. Store the peeled onions in the freezer
Chop your onions and place them on a flat surface on parchment paper and freeze. Once frozen, remove the onions from the paper and store in a tight bag or store in a container in the freezer. One of the drawbacks of this option is the limited storage space.
Step 4. Wrap the remaining onions and store in the refrigerator
While cooking, some of the onion may remain from cooking. To save leftover onions for use at the next cooking time, wrap the onions in plastic and place them in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator.
