Store Onion the Best Way

Being a culinary staple, we buy onion in bulk. Unfortunately, they often go soft or start sprouting before we think of using them. To save your time and money, you must know about the types of onion and how can you store it the best possible way.

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Types of Onions

There are two main types of onions:

  1. Pungent
  2. Mild

Mild Onions are typically large and juicy with thick rings and thin, papery skins that peel easily. They can be cooked, but can also be eaten raw on sandwiches or burgers. And mild onions are the ones you want inside an onion ring. Unfortunately, mild onions are poor keepers. Even in ideal storage conditions, they will only maintain their eating quality for a couple months. A bumper crop of mild onions can be preserved in pickles, salsas and chutneys.

Pungent Onions are usually smaller in size, have thinner rings, tighter skins and make your eyes sting when you cut them. The same sulfurous compounds that draw tears inhibit rot, so the more pungent the onion the longer it will store. 

Few things you can take care:

  1. Keep the best in a cool, dark, dry area.

  2. Do not store onions in the refrigerator for an extended time as the cold temperature will soften their texture.

  3. Do not store onions in plastic bags - it will accelerate sprouting and spoilage due to lack of air circulation.

  4. Never store potatoes and onions together - stored together, they accelerate spoilage of each other.