The onion is a staple in almost every pantry – and for good reason! Whether you like chopped raw onions on your tacos, braised onions with meat, or crispy fried onion rings, there are many reasons to stock up on onions. (Especially if you're cooking for the holidays - so many favorite dishes call for onions!) If you store them properly, they'll last for at least a month. However, many people are unsure how to properly store vegetables. In the fridge? Frozen? Counter? Throughout? Cut? Read on to learn how to store onions.
Can you store onions on the counter
Most packaged onions are best stored in a cool, dry place, preferably away from light (these are the "storage onions" - the regular red, white and yellow varieties). If this environment sounds like your countertop, you're in luck! Potatoes like similar conditions, but don't store the two together. Onions give off ethylene gas, which causes potatoes to age and rot. This is problematic in itself, but the rotting potatoes then also affect the onions, causing them to ripen and rot as well. Store your onions separately and keep them whole and unpeeled.
Store onions in the refrigerator
Technically this is possible, but if you have most onionsstored in the refrigerator, two unpleasant things happen: First, the cold environment of the refrigerator converts the starch in the onion into sugar, causing it to become soft or mushy. Secondly, the onion absorbs the moisture from its humid environment, which also leads to an unpleasant softening of the texture. Once an onion is cut, it should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container - preferably a jar, as plastic absorbs odors. You want to minimize moisture and oxidation, both of which affect the taste and texture of the cut pieces. So if you're preparing for a big feast, consider pre-cutting your onions and storing them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Also interesting:Mold on the onion peel? What to do?
Freezing tips
If you must, you can freeze onions. You can hack them and thenin a freezer bagStore with as much air squeezed out as possible. Freezer bags are thicker than regular plastic zipper bags, which helps prevent the pungent smell from spreading to other items in your freezer. Once thawed, they may not look as fresh and the texture may deteriorate slightly, so they should be used in cooked dishes rather than in side dishes or salads. But as long as you use them within three to six months, they will retain their taste.
A tip: store them in individual portions and not in a large bag, as they no longer freeze well once thawed. You don't want to waste something just because you had to thaw the whole block to only use part of it.
Storage by dehydration
About raw onionsfor dryingTo prepare them, peel them and cut them into evenly thick slices or pieces. No pretreatment is required before drying. Thinly sliced onions dry faster. Think about what you'll use them for once they're dry and cut them to size. Distribute the pieces evenly on the drying trays and dry at 50 - 57°C until leathery/brittle.
It is advisable to dry the bulbs in a garage or in a secluded place as they smell very strong. To reduce the smell, you can caramelize them before drying, but avoid fats or oils, which are more likely to spoil in storage. Store dried onions in an airtight container.
Some cooking ideas for onions from your stash
If you're looking for delicious dishes to use the onions in your pantry for, we recommend using them to make a French onion flatbread. If you're looking to fire up the grill this weekend, try these pork, pineapple, and red onion skewers. And you can never go wrong with classic French onion soup.
