How to Store Onions

You've grown your own organic onions, and got a great harvest, now you need to store them so they will keep for as long as possible.

How to Store Onions

Here are some tips on keeping onions fresh and useable for a long time. 

  • Many years, if you've fertilized your onions with wood ashes and glacial rock dust, this will give them the potential for longer storage.

  • Harvesting them correctly is also a factor in the storage potential.  They need to be pulled from the ground when they're dry (reduce or eliminate irrigation beforehand) and then put into a dry place in a single layer to cure. I use my greenhouse, on a shady bench, for this.

  • In some areas, the drying leaves are braided together and the braid hung in a cellar.  This might give you an indication of the right kind of conditions they need - dry air, and not touching each other.

  • If onions start to sprout in storage - don't put them in the compost yet!  You can chop the green parts as - you guessed it - green onions! The bottom of the bulb will grow roots if you want to keep it going a bit longer - put it in a narrow jar or vase, snip the greens for as long as it grows, for a taste of spring in your hard boiled egg sandwiches, or quiche. 

  • Don't refrigerate onions to store them, this just encourages them to grow when they're taken out.

  • When you cut an onion and use part of it for cooking, the rest of it should last at least a few days in a clean yogurt container in the fridge.

Onions generally don't last long in my house because I use them for cooking throughout the winter, but following these tips will ensure that I have fresh onions until March or so.

Apparently, you can also freeze them - chop them, put them in a bag or freezer container, and use them within six months.  Or, make soup or stew with lots of delicious onions, and freeze that in air tight containers.


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