Onion is one of those vegetables that is used in cooking frequently, but it can lead to an excess of onion that does not get used for a recipe.
If you hate to waste food, or you want to keep your onions to use later, there are some strategies that you can use to save them.
You will not need to do any special preparation to store your onions for later cooking needs, but you will need to be sure that you do not let your onions sit out on the counter for too long before you store them. Onions that have started to turn brown or get soggy need to be thrown out.
Leftover onion can be readily stored for later use, and it can be added to some other really good recipes the next day. Make sure that you are storing your whole onions in the right kind of storage container as well so that you will not have to throw out unused whole vegetables.
If you are ready to learn some more about what to do with leftover onion, you will need to keep reading!
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Storing Leftover Onion
One of the biggest questions that people have about how to save leftover onion is how to store it for later use. You can store your onion in a sealed freezer bag or Tupperware in the fridge, but it will only last for about two days.
This choice can lead to a smelly fridge too because the onion smell does tend to escape from bags and even from Tupperware products.
Due to the short duration of time that your onion will keep in the fridge and the potential for a stinky fridge situation, you will probably want to store your onion in the freezer.
All you will need to have on hand to store your onion in the freezer is a quality freezer bag and a flat space for your onion to rest in the freezer.
You can store chopped raw onion, sliced onion, cooked onion, and even caramelized onion in the freezer with ease. This stored onion should keep for about a month, if not a little longer.
There is another method of storing your leftover onion in the freezer, and that is to use ice cube trays. For this method, you will just drop a small amount of onion into each of the cups in the ice cube tray and then place the trays in your freezer.
This is a great way to store small amounts of onion that are easy to access when they are needed, but it can lead to onion smell in your freezer that is impossible to get out.
You can cover the trays with plastic wrap to help cut down on this issue, but you might still have an onion smell problem.
What Else Can You Do With Leftover Onion?
If you do not want to store your leftover onion, you might be wondering what else you can do with onion that you have not used.
The easiest way to use up onion that has not been needed for a recipe is to put it on top of salads or hamburgers within the next 48 hours or so.
If you place your chopped or cooked onion into the fridge right after you have prepared it, it will be in good shape for another meal in the next couple of days.
Some other options are to make something like French Onion soup or onion gravy. Onion gravy, in particular, keeps really well, and this can be a delicious addition to many kinds of meals in the future.
Caramelizing your onions will also make them last a little longer, and if you choose to do this, you can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days to dress up other meals that you might be making for lunch or dinner.
Chutney or relish can be a great use of chopped onion as well. You can store these products in a can or jar as well, which makes them a great choice for smell-free storage and good use of your leftover onion.
Having a plan for your leftover onion in advance can make it easier to use it all for different purposes so that none of it goes to waste.
The leftover onion that has not been chopped will not keep for more than a few days, even when stored properly, so sometimes it is a good idea to just use up all the onion that you have bought and then freeze or store it in the fridge.
Onion that has not been peeled can keep for months, but once onion has been cut into, it will start to break down pretty quickly.
Many people will try and buy smaller onions to avoid some of this waste, but using these storage tips will make it easy to keep your onion around whether it has been prepared or not.
Storing Leftover Onion is Easy and So is Cooking With it
If you have been wondering what to do with onion that you have chopped up and not used, these tips will help you find solutions to prevent waste.
Onion does not keep well when stored at room temperature unless it is whole, but you can use these strategies to get the most out of your onion that you have prepared for a dish and not used up completely.
Storage in the freezer is a great choice for people who love onion and adding your onion to things like soups, gravies, and chutneys can make it simple to use up the onion that you have purchased.
Make sure that you have the right storage containers on hand for your onion storage needs, and then just be sure that you wash your hands before storing onions in the freezer.
Taking the time to store your onion can be easy, and you will be so glad that you have onion on hand the next time that you need it!
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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