How To Store Onions Properly. Part 2

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

In the first part of the article, we figured out how to prepare onions for storage, as well as how to dry them. Now it's time to talk about storing it. Due to many circumstances, not all people are the happy owners of a private house, cellar, basement or garage pit. Many people have to store onions in apartments. However, with due diligence, this task can also be perfectly coped with

Onion preparation and storage space in the apartment

When the bulbs are dried and trimmed, they begin to be sorted. Large, strong and healthy bulbs with closed dried necks and without any damage will be most suitable for long-term storage. Unripe bulbs, as well as small ones, should be set aside separately in order to use them first.

The place in which it is planned to store the onion must be dry, and the entire container must be breathable. A pantry, separate drawers in cupboards or spacious mezzanines located under the ceiling are ideal for storing onions in an apartment.

Container and "packing material"

As for the container and the so-called "packaging material", the most used of them are:

Wooden or plastic relatively shallow drawers. In addition to the fact that the bow is well ventilated in them, such boxes also allow you to significantly save space, because they can always be stacked on top of each other.

Wicker baskets. They have a lot of advantages: they are almost always made of natural materials, they perfectly let the air through, and they look very aesthetically pleasing. In short, perfect!

Cardboard boxes. They are also quite suitable for storing bulbs, only before sending them for storage, you will need to make many ventilation holes in such boxes. They are usually done on the sides and in the bottom.

Special propylene nets for storing vegetables. In principle, they are also great for storing bulbs, because they do not interfere with free air circulation at all. Moreover, they provide an excellent overview - it will be immediately visible in them if the bulbs begin to sprout or rot.

Paper or cloth bags. They also let air through quite well, but it is strictly not recommended to pour all the onions into one large bag. When choosing this storage method, it is important to know that in each bag the onion layer should not be more than thirty centimeters.

Tights and stockings. A rare person is not familiar with this old grandmother's way of storing onion crops, when stockings or tights filled with bulbs are hung from the ceiling or other surfaces. This method works perfectly to this day. However, it is better to use it if there is a pantry, since tights with onions hung all over the kitchen will not look very aesthetically pleasing.

Knitted braids

If the onion crop is not particularly plentiful, you should not rush to cut the onion, because it can always be braided into spectacular plaits. Hanging onion braids in the kitchen throughout the winter will not only delight the eye, but also effectively cleanse the room from pathogenic microbes. And instructions and master classes on weaving such braids will not be difficult to find on the Internet.

What's next

To keep the onion better, it is sprinkled with chalk (200 g of chalk is taken for each kilogram) or onion husks. Chalk perfectly absorbs excess moisture, preventing bulbs from decay and germination.

Twice or three times during the winter, all onions stored in an apartment must be carefully examined and conscientiously sorted out. If infected bulbs are found, they must be removed promptly, otherwise they may start to rot, infecting healthy bulbs. Also, this event will make sure that the onion is not damp. If the bulbs are damp, they are dried again. Often this is done right in an oven preheated to a minimum temperature. It is important to note that in the oven, onions are dried only with the door open and the fire turned off.