How to Store Homegrown Onions

Homegrown onions come in several varieties.

Onions are a low-maintenance plant that is easy for home gardeners to grow. Once you harvest the onions, cure them properly so they will keep as long as possible. As long as you dry them in the correct way, your homegrown onions should last throughout the winter season. Harvesting your onions when the tops begin to fall over will ensure you are storing the freshest crop possible.

Things You'll Need

• Clean sheet
• Scissors
• Mesh bags

Instructions

1. Lay a clean sheet out flat in a garage or other warm place with good ventilation. Lay the onions on the clean sheet in a single layer. Leave them to dry for three weeks. They are done drying when the outer layers rustle and the neck of the onion is totally dry to the touch.

2. Cut the tops off the onions with a pair of sharp scissors, leaving 1 inch of stem. Put the shorn onions into a mesh bag. Throw away any onions that show signs of decay.

3. Store the mesh bags in an unheated garage or cold cellar, or anyplace where the temperature is between 32 and 40 degrees F and the humidity is from 65 to 70 percent.

References

• Iowa State University: Harvesting and Storing Onions