It could easily be called the queen of durability, because onions can lie in perfect condition for several weeks after harvesting. However, it is important to know how to store it so that it does not rot. This method, used by farmers and senior gardeners, will significantly extend the shelf life of onions – they will taste great even into May. See how to store onions.
How do you store onions to survive the winter?
Harvesting a good harvest from the garden is only half the battle. If you don’t choose and store it well, you’ll end up with only half a full box. Improper storage of vegetables, even those that are considered extremely durable, leads to acceleration of their spoilage, rotting and loss of tasty morsels, which in many cases could lie undisturbed in the pantry until spring.
How to store onions to survive the winter? I am careful about mistakes and experiments, because I feel sorry for vegetables that have been in the beds for a long time, so I stick to the methods recommended by the old gardeners. Farmers also use this method with onions, so it retains a firm, crunchy texture, freshness, juiciness and all other unique properties.
It is important to store inspected, healthy onions with no signs of damage or disease:
– in a jute bag,
– in an airy cotton bag,
– in a special protective network,
– in a wicker basket,
– in ventilated containers made of materials that do not react with food,
– in a cardboard box with ventilation holes,
– in traditional wooden crates.
If there are a lot of onions and you don’t have special containers or crates, try storing the vegetables loosely in a pile. Here and there you can sprinkle them with straw or cover them with sand – it will absorb excess moisture and maintain a stable temperature.
It is important that the vegetables intended for storage are first cooled (still on the bed) and dried. When is the best time to move the harvested onions from the vegetable garden to the pantry? Check if the scales around the neck are already sufficiently dry and rustling. If the vegetables have been lying around for a long time and the first frosts are approaching, you may want to think about organizing post-season storage. In order for vegetables not to rot, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for them. It must be cool, dry, the temperature should not fluctuate and ventilation is also important. Without proper air circulation, even vegetables separated by layers can spoil faster.
In order for the onion to remain suitable for consumption for a long time, do not remove its skin. Onion skins provide it with natural protection against spoilage. How long can we eat such unpeeled vegetables from the pantry without worrying that they might harm us?
Senior gardeners believe that there are no contraindications to eating sprouted onions. However, it should be borne in mind that such specimens that germinate with green chives will quickly soften, lose the crispness characteristic of fresh vegetables and the taste, which, among other things, is provided by the pungent juice stored inside the leaves.
So which onion should you not eat? How do you know that an onion is overripe and suitable for the bin? These are the changes to vegetables that should immediately catch your attention:
– soft structure and unpleasant smell,
– slime covering the outside of the scales,
– grey, brown, reddish or black spots,
– change in the color of the pulp from a light, clear color to a shady, brownish color.
Onions with clearly visible mold growths are completely unsuitable for consumption – colored or white, with hairs. Do not forget that spoiled onions with mold or fungal growths no need to throw in the compost; it should simply be thrown in the trash.
Parsley stays fresh for months. Store it like my grandma
