Onions can last for a pretty long period. But, the entire situation changes when you chop, peel, or store them under unfavorable conditions.
The cut ones will lose their flavor, while the whole bulbs will start sprouting. This is where the onion keeper comes in.
It provides the favorable storage conditions to extend your onion’s shelf life.
Table of Contents
- Why Do I Need An Onion Saver? Do They Work?
- Ideas to Consider When Looking For the Onion Keeper
- Types Of Onion Saver? What Is The Best Style?
- What’s The Best Construction Material For Onion Keepers?
- Are Onion Keepers Safe?
- How Do I Store Onions In My Onion Holder?
- How Many Onions Can I Keep In an Onion Storage?
- What Else Should I Consider When Looking For Right Onion Keepers?
- Tips for Maintaining Onion Keeper Effectiveness
- How To Avoid Inferior Onion Keepers?
- Final Thought
Why Do I Need An Onion Saver? Do They Work?
Onion savers serve two significant purposes. First, they keep the onion smell confined, thereby keeping your fridge fresh and safeguarding your foodstuff from absorbing the powerful onion scent.
Second, an onion saver will protect your chopped onions from germs, odor, and all other elements that could accelerate sprouting, withering, and loss of flavor. With the best onion saver, chopped or peeled onions will remain fresh for ten-plus days.
Culinary snoops who’ve tried this piece of kitchen equipment report that it works perfectly well. They use it as a low-cost solution to those one-time-use sealer bags, cling wraps, beeswax wraps, and other food wraps.
Ideas to Consider When Looking For the Onion Keeper
There is nothing hard like picking the storage container for onions from thousands of options.
The ball game worsens if you are a first-time buyer with no particular brand in mind or with less knowledge required to discern the best from the vast store choices.
Having been in the kitchen world for years, I decided to shed light on the most critical factors that would help you buy excellent storage containers for onions, as well as simplify your buying experience.
Types Of Onion Saver? What Is The Best Style?
There are two types of onion keepers—large-size tin canisters intended to store whole onion bulbs and small-sized containers for storing halved or chopped onions. What is the best type? It depends on your inclinations.
The large tin canisters are great for homeowners who buy in bulk. They will provide the proper storage conditions required to safeguard your whole onion bulbs against sprouting, rotting, or withering. However, these storage containers will not be ideal for storing chopped onions since they are ventilated.
If you want a unit to extend your chopped onion leftovers‘ lifespan, the small-size storage containers will not disappoint. They form an airtight seal that preserves your onion’s freshness for as long as ten or more days. Small-sized onion storage containers are an excellent alternative to one-time-use storage bags.
What’s The Best Construction Material For Onion Keepers?
When choosing the best onion holder, it is vital to get one with a construction that can perform well over time. Otherwise, you will keep wasting your money replacing onion savers that cannot stand the test of time.
Since each material comes with distinctive upsides and downsides, I have scrutinized the common ones to help you pick one that fits your exact needs.
- Food grade plastic
Unlike ordinary plastic, which contains toxic plasticizers, food-grade plastic is entirely food-safe. It doesn’t contain BPA, phthalates, melamine, and those harmful plasticizers that could place your health at stake.
Apart from safety, food-grade plastic boasts of first-rate thermal and impact resistance. It is less expensive than many construction materials. Perhaps, this is why many manufacturers fabricate their onion holders from plastic.
- ABS
ABS boasts superior heat, impact, chemicals, and abrasion. Its surface is shinier and sleeker than that of plastic. Thus, if you are looking for an attractive onion keeper for a busy kitchen, this material would be a great fit. ABS is free.
- Powder-coated metal sheet
Manufacturers use powder coating to enhance the structural integrity of metallic onion keepers. The coat improves the container’s aesthetics and durability. However, many people think that the coat chips or stains easily, but that isn’t true. Powder-coated metallic onion keepers are easy to clean and rugged enough to survive for ages.
However, the powder coat can chip if your onion keeper collides with other kitchenware. Therefore, you will need to handle it with much care.
- Polycarbonate
Manufacturers use polycarbonate to make see-through onion keepers. This plastic material is virtually unbreakable, and it can maintain its clean look for several years. Furthermore, polycarbonate is free of BPA.
Are Onion Keepers Safe?
Manufacturers make their onion savers from food-safe materials. They do not contain heavy metals, toxic plasticizers, and other harmful substances that could compromise your health.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t assume that all onion keepers are safe since some cunny manufacturers can fabricate their onion storage containers from harmful materials. Thus, before you buy, make sure that the unit you are eyeing is certified BPA-free, food-safe, or Phthalate-free.
To be on the safe side, buy onion keepers from reputable manufacturers. That way, you will avoid the potentially harmful onion keepers that could expose your loved ones to detrimental health conditions.
How Do I Store Onions In My Onion Holder?
While an onion keeper can extend an onion’s shelf life, the National Onion Association reports that there are some essential storage ideas that you should take into account to extend the lifespan even more.
If you are storing whole onions, tuck your container in a cool and dry place. Warmth accelerates sprouting, while excessive moisture can speed up rotting.
For cut onions, make sure that your storage container’s lid is tightly fastened. That way, you will protect the chopped onion against elements that could contaminate or lower your onion’s shelf life. Afterward, keep the container in a refrigerator.
How Many Onions Can I Keep In an Onion Storage?
Onion keepers differ in capacity. A majority are designed to hold just one full-size or halved onion. Though small, this size should be ideal for homeowners who rarely have onion leftovers to store. After all, there is no reason to chop more onions that you cannot use.
Nevertheless, if you love preserving large quantities of chopped onions, you can shop around for a unit that can hold a quantity that can serve you for approximately ten days. Past ten days, chopped onions are likely to lose their flavor.
What Else Should I Consider When Looking For Right Onion Keepers?
Since the market has thousands of onion keepers, manufacturers have been equipping their brands with additional bells and whistles to stay ahead of the competition. So, if you are a savvy buyer, you should take advantage of the upgrades to get maximum value.
Some of the extra features you would want to consider include:
- Handles
Handles matter when buying a large onion keeper or one made from delicate materials. They will minimize the chances of your onion keeper falling when moving it around your counter. This shouldn’t be a necessity when dealing with small-sized onion keepers.
- Clear lids
If your fridge has several food storage containers, a clear lid will come in handy. It will let you identify your container’s contents without opening the onion keeper. The transparent cover will also save the time you would have spent rummaging through several storage containers searching for the one with your chopped onions.
- Design
In the modern era, using stylish kitchenware is the trend. So, before you check out your favorite store, make sure that your onion keeper is smart enough to add some elegance to your classy kitchen shelves or cabinet. But, the onion keeper shouldn’t sacrifice functionality for style.
Tips for Maintaining Onion Keeper Effectiveness
Now that your onions are snug in their keeper, here’s how to keep them in top shape.
Regular Checks for Onion Freshness
Be a vigilant onion parent. Regularly check for signs of sprouting or softening, and rotate your onions to use the older ones first.
Cleaning and Maintaining the Onion Keeper
Give your onion keeper a little care with attention. Clean it periodically to ensure a sanitized environment for your stored onions.
Storing Different Onion Varieties Separately
If you’re into different onion flavors, store them separately. This prevents cross-flavoring and preserves the unique characteristics of each onion.
How To Avoid Inferior Onion Keepers?
Truthfully, it is hard to gauge an onion keeper’s quality by its appearance and product description. Fortunately, many reputable stores have a customer review section where customers air out their honest opinions after buying and using an item.
On that account, if you wish to avoid those inferior onion keepers littered in stores, use customer reviews to rule out substandard models from your purchase list. Always go for units with many positive reviews.
Final Thought
There are three major factors to consider when looking for a good onion keeper- safety, durability, and design.
An exemplary storage container should be free of toxic compounds and rugged enough to stand the test of time. Their design shouldn’t compromise your kitchen’s aesthetics.
So, invest in an onion keeper or get your DIY hat on – your taste buds will thank you for the flavorful onions in your future dishes!
