How to Store Onions:
Harvesting, Curing, and Storing
★ SaveKnowing how to store onions lets you enjoy your harvest all winter. With the right varieties and a little curing, homegrown onions keep for months in a cool, dry spot.
And to answer the supermarket question: yes, scallions are young onions picked before the bulbs form, though some onions are grown only for their green tops.
From My Garden
Sometimes avid gardeners take it for granted that everyone already knows the basics of growing vegetables. Recently, I was reminded that plenty of people could use some helpful gardening tips.
During the holidays, I overheard a young lady in the supermarket look down at her long grocery list and ask her mom, "Aren't scallions just onions that haven't grown big yet?"
So let's look at the basics of harvesting onions, and how to store onions so they last!
Charlotte
Growing onions?
See our complete guide to growing onions from sets, seeds, and transplants.
How to Grow OnionsOn This Page
Best Onions for Storage
Pungent onions keep best. The sulfur compounds that make them sharp also help them last. Sweet onions like Walla Walla and Vidalia are wonderful fresh but keep only a few weeks.
| Onion | Color | How long it keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Globe, Downing Yellow Globe, Yellow Globe Danvers | Yellow | 6 to 8 months |
| Ebenezer, Copra, Patterson | Yellow | 6 to 10 months |
| Southport Red Globe, Red Wethersfield, Redwing | Red | 4 to 6 months |
| Southport White Globe | White | 3 to 4 months; store only bulbs with thin necks |
| Walla Walla, Vidalia, other sweet onions | Yellow | 2 to 6 weeks |
Storage onions are long-day onions, best for northern gardens. See how to grow onions for the right types for your area.
Harvesting Green Onions and Scallions
Onions can be eaten at any stage. Pull green onions when the bulbs are no more than half an inch across. Rinse, and refrigerate right away.
Bunching onions and chives form clumps that you can harvest all season. Split off outer shoots and leave the rest to keep growing.
When and How to Harvest Bulb Onions
Bulb onions are ready when the tops yellow and fall over on their own. Wait until at least half the tops have flopped, then stop watering for about a week.
- Choose a dry, sunny day.
- Loosen the soil with a garden fork and gently lift the bulbs. Don't pull them by the tops or bruise them; bruised onions rot in storage.
- Don't bend the tops over by hand. Old advice said to, but it can open the neck to rot.
- Dig up one or two first to check the bulbs are full size.
Onion sets often mature at different times, so you may harvest over a few weeks.
Curing Onions
Curing is the secret to onions that keep, and the first step in how to store onions for winter. Spread the onions in a single layer, or hang them by their tops, in a warm, dry, airy spot out of direct sun: a covered porch, garage, or shed.
Leave the tops on and let them cure for 2 to 3 weeks, until the necks are tight and dry and the outer skins are papery. Then trim the tops to about an inch and the roots short, or leave the tops long for braiding.
How to Store Onions
★ SaveStore onions cool, dark, dry, and airy. The best temperature is 32°F to 50°F with low humidity: a cool basement, root cellar, unheated garage that doesn't freeze, or dark closet.
- Mesh bags or baskets: let air move around the bulbs.
- Braids: braid the dry tops together and hang them in a cool place. Pretty and practical.
- Pantyhose: drop an onion in, tie a knot, add another, and so on. Snip below a knot to take one out.
- Keep onions away from potatoes. Each makes the other spoil faster.
- Don't refrigerate whole storage onions; it's too damp. Cut onions go in the refrigerator.
Check them every few weeks. Use any soft or sprouting onions first, and throw out any that are slimy or moldy.
Sprouted Onions
If storage is too warm, onions sprout. A sprouted onion is still safe to eat. Cut out the green center and use the rest soon.
Or plant sprouted onions in a pot or the garden for green onions. Extra shallots and multiplier onions can be saved and replanted in fall where winters are mild. See planting shallots.
Harvesting Garlic and Shallots
Garlic and shallots are harvested and cured much like onions. Dig garlic when the lower third to half of the leaves are brown, usually early summer. Shallots are ready when the tops yellow and fall.
Cure them in a warm, airy place for 2 to 3 weeks, then store cool and dry. See how to grow garlic and drying garlic.
A Little Onion Trivia
Onions are one of the most widely used foods in the world, and people have grown them for thousands of years, back to ancient Egypt.
Kids love helping pull and braid onions. It's a fun way to get them into the garden!
Onion Storage Questions
- How long do homegrown onions last?
- Well-cured storage onions keep 4 to 10 months, depending on the variety. Sweet onions keep only a few weeks.
- Why are my stored onions rotting?
- Usually they weren't fully cured, were bruised, or are stored somewhere too damp or warm.
- Should I store onions in the refrigerator?
- Not whole storage onions; it's too damp. Sweet onions can be wrapped individually and refrigerated for a few extra weeks.
- Can I store onions and potatoes together?
- No. Onions make potatoes sprout, and potatoes give off moisture that makes onions spoil.
- Are scallions just young onions?
- Often, yes: they're onions picked before the bulb forms. Some bunching onions never form bulbs at all.
More Onion Guides
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