Onions can be stored particularly well and for a long time if you take a few important points into account. You can find valuable tips here.
Onions generally keep for a long time, but there are differences. Some varieties are better suited for this than others.
Basically, the late varieties that are harvested in autumn are much better suited for storage than those that are already ready for harvest in spring or summer. Varieties harvested in autumn can be kept throughout the winter. The onions harvested in the warm season should be used up within a few weeks.
The spiciness also has an impact on the storage life of onions. The hot varieties contain sulphurous substances, which are also responsible for tearing in the eyes when cutting. However, these are also the reason why they can be stored for a long time. While the milder varieties are easier to cut, they are not suitable for long-term storage.
Before storing your own onions
Leave the onions to ripen
If you want to store onions from your own harvest, they should only get a sufficiently firm skin after harvesting. This happens in a completely uncomplicated way by simply post-ripening. Find a warm and airy place that is also dry. This could be a shed, for example. Spread a tarp there and spread the harvested onions on it. It must not be exposed to the sun as this could result in a bitter taste.
Remove Roots
After about four weeks the onions are ready. The skin on the stems should be wilted by then and otherwise enclose the onion tightly. Before storing, the roots are cut off with a sharp knife. You can shorten the leaves to about three centimeters or leave them as is and braid them into an onion braid.
Important: Onions with cracked skins, bruises or green stems should be discarded.
Store the onions correctly
As far as storage goes, onions are an undemanding vegetable. You can store them for up to six months in good conditions.
➢ Tip 1:
It is important that the storage location is cool, dry and dark. If there is too much light, they quickly sprout. If the place is too damp, there is a risk of rotting from the inside out. So the ideal place to store onions is in the basement, as long as it's dry there.
➢ Tip 2:
Arrange the onions so that they don't sweat. So in baskets, nets or simply on a clean surface. If you don't have a basement, you can store the onions in a pantry as long as it's dark and not too warm. However, they stay there for about four to six weeks at most.
➢ Tip 3:
The refrigerator is not suitable for storing onions. However, it is possible to keep cut onions there for a short time. To do this, place the onions cut-side down in a container and seal it airtight. This way you can keep the sliced onion for another two days.
Important: Never wrap a sliced onion in aluminum foil, as the aluminum will transfer to the onion. On the one hand, this gives it a metallic taste and, on the other hand, the aluminum is harmful to he alth.