If you love onions, you know that storing them can be tough. This is particularly true when you are considering the storage of more than one onion in a small space.
Onions can make other vegetables stored near them break down, and they can also impact the smell of your fridge or freezer in a less-than-ideal way.
If you have been struggling with the storage of your onions to prevent waste and onion smell from invading your storage areas, there are some simple ways to improve your onion storage process.
Storing onions for a long time doesn’t have to be tough if you make sure to set things up carefully in your pantry and your freezer.
If you are ready to learn more about the process of storing onions long-term, you need to keep reading for more information.
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Storing Whole Onions
The best way to store onions long-term is to leave them whole. As soon as you cut into an onion or peel it, it starts to break down.
Onions that have been partially peeled or cut in some way will not last as long as onions that are whole. This is one of the reasons that many people prepare too much onion for their needs when cooking.
The best way to store whole onions is to use the right kind of container and to place them in a cool and dark place that is away from heat and moisture.
This means that you will need to find a spot in your pantry or cupboards that is just reserved for onion storage.
When you store whole onions in this way, you will need to make sure that you also do not store other vegetables next to them.
Even when not peeled or prepared, whole onions can impact the freshness of other vegetables that are close to them.
Storing Onion That Has Been Cut Into
If you have an onion that you need to store that has been used for cooking, you will need to utilize the fridge for this process.
You can place your onion that has been cut into in a Tupperware or another airtight container, and it should keep for about a week.
Make sure that your hands are clean before you put the onion into the container since bacteria on your hands can cause the onion to break down much faster than it normally would.
Remember that the layer of onion that is on the cut side might be a little soggy or less flavorful. You might want to cut off the edge of the onion that has been cut to access an onion that has a better texture and is fresher.
Onion that is stored in this way is easier to utilize, and you will prevent waste this way too.
Some people have good luck placing a damp paper towel against the cut end of the onion before putting it into a storage container.
This can help keep the onion from getting slimy and losing its flavor. You might find that some varieties of onion do not fare well when stored in this way, however.
This is not a great idea for situations where you have a large onion that you are trying to keep fresh since the moisture will likely just fill up the container and create an opportunity for mold and other kinds of issues. This works better with small onions that are stored in airtight containers.
Onions that you store in the fridge might be prone to sharing their smell with the rest of the fridge, so you might need to pick a place in the fridge that is just for your onions to live.
This could be the crisper drawer or another small drawer. You will want to avoid keeping your onion in the main part of your fridge to avoid the onion smell that it could impart to other foods.
While it can be tempting to freeze whole onions, this does not work well and tends to lead to freezer-burned and flavorless onions that cannot be used for anything when they are thawed.
Lastly, you can also choose to pickle your onions and store them in canning jars. This is a really easy way to keep onions good for up to eight months or a year, and they are delicious as well!
Pickling preserves onion texture and flavor reliably and makes for some really nice onion options to add to salads and other kinds of dishes.
This is a simple process that you can easily do at home and does not allow onion smell to get out into your cupboards or fridge.
There is some variety in the right pickling process between unique onion varieties, but you can easily find recipes for each kind of onion type for pickling purposes.
Storing Onions Long Term is Easy!
If you want to store onion long-term, you can do so even when it has been cut into. You will just need to make sure that you have the right onion storage container on hand or a Tupperware container that will seal completely and keep the onion smell and moisture out.
Making sure that you have onion on hand to cook with can be really simple when you use these tips and tricks to make sure that you are not wasting food.
Even if you need to make a lot of onion in advance to use later, you can use the freezer to keep your onion good for many weeks.
Onions are a really easy vegetable to store, and as long as you keep your onion away from the other vegetables that you are trying to store, you will have great success with keeping your onion fresh if you store it properly.
Whether you are storing whole onions in your pantry, a partially sliced-up onion in the fridge, or pickling onion to be used later for salads and garnishes, you will be able to keep your onion fresh for the long term using these tips.
I am Brianna, a self-published author with a passion for sharing my knowledge and expertise on various topics with people looking to find the perfect items for their needs. I love ensuring that the right informative content is available to people looking for the right information. I am an avid horseback rider and reader when I am not writing.
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