![]() ![]() How to store cured onionsĮven if you’ve done a good job of properly curing your onions, it’s still essential that the bulbs are stored properly. Another way to cure onions is to hang them to dry in small bunches. After the curing process ends, it’s time to put the bulbs into storage. Don’t allow the bulbs to get wet and turn them over once or twice during the process if possible. This is the most important stage of curing onions. During this time, the skins harden, and the remaining leaf-tops dry and shrivel. Admittedly, I sometimes lose track of time and it turns into four weeks, which has never caused issues for me. If you don’t have a way to elevate them, you can also cure onions by laying them out on newspapers to dry.Īllow the onions to rest in this way for two or three weeks. The idea is to dry out and toughen the skins without drying out the onion’s interior. No matter what you use, the idea is to encourage good air circulation around the entire bulb. If you don’t have something elevated to place them on, you can also lay them out on newspaper or even hang them in small bunches to cure. You can turn them upside down and put the onions on top to further increase air circulation. Plastic milk and storage crates are great for curing onions. My mother uses old window screens elevated on bricks and a friend built drying screens from hardware cloth stapled to a simple wooden frame (like this one). ![]() I line mine up on upside down plastic nursery flats in our attached garage. Place the bulbs in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location, spreading them out so they don’t touch. Do not cut them off at this stage as doing so could promote rot. Leave the little roots protruding from the bottom of the onion intact. Curing onions for long storageĪfter the onions are harvested, use your fingers or a very soft mushroom or surgical brush to remove any excess soil. Wait until the onion tops have partially browned and fallen over completely before pulling onions from the garden. After that, pull the onions out of the soil and begin the curing process. If possible, wait for a few additional days if you happen to get rain during that period. ![]() Once a third of the tops have turned brown and the stems have toppled over, stop watering the onion patch for 3-6 days to dry the skins out a bit. In my Pennsylvania garden, this typically occurs around the end of July or early August. However, if you plan to store your onions for winter use, wait until the bulbs have fully matured, about a third of the foliage has browned, and the necks have bent and fallen over completely. As they age, the bulbs fatten up and their skin toughens, but onions don’t have to be officially “ripe” in order for us to enjoy a harvest. When they’re young, harvested onions are called scallions or green onions. Onions are edible at all stages of maturity. The best harvesting technique for curing onions These onions should be eaten quickly since the skin was peeled and they were not cured properly. ![]() There are many types of onions you can grow in your garden. This is also true for onions harvested before they are fully mature.īefore I offer more information on the steps needed for curing onions, let’s talk about how a properly timed harvest influences the curing process. You’ll learn more about these and other storage techniques later in this article.įor gardeners who plan to eat their onions within a few weeks of harvest, refrigerator storage is fine. Fully cured onions kept on a counter in a cool, dark room or hung in mesh onion bags have the greatest storage life. Curing onions also allows you to store them at room temperature, rather than having to keep them in the fridge. Their dry, fully cured skins protect them from desiccation and keep pathogens from entering the bulb, causing rot, and developing a foul smell. Without proper curing, onion bulbs turn soft and mushy. If you plan to store the pungent bulbs for winter use, curing onions is a necessary step in the process. Properly cured onions have dry, papery skins, dried roots, and no top growth. While growing onions isn’t a complicated process (you’ll find details on how to do it here), curing onions properly after harvest is essential for ensuring you can enjoy the harvest for months to come. It also gives us a chance to ensure they are grown without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides. While buying onions at the grocery store or farmer’s market doesn’t cost us as much as purchasing fresh herbs or vine-ripened tomatoes, growing your own onions can cut down on food costs simply for the sheer volume of onions households like ours consume (the average American eats 20 pounds of onions a year!). In my house, we seem to need an endless supply of onions. ![]()
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