Onions: Wise gardeners, tell me, how do you store yours?
 

So I finally have a decent harvest of onions this year, about 30 lbs left after we've eaten some and given some (not many) away. They are Redwing and Copra. I'm at a loss as to how to store them. Last year and the year before, I had tiny onions and just threw them in a single layer into a shallow cardboard box on a shelf in my basement and they didn't last long at all and sprouted. Well, I think it's just too warm in my basement, about 62 degrees pretty much year round. I guess the furnace being down there heats it up.

I have an unheated garage, but it would probably be too cold and freeze them once it's freezing outside. Plus, my husband has all his lawn equipment in there and it stinks of gas. I don't want my food to absorb that. What to do? I want to use my onions! I know I will if I can just get them to last!

Please, please, please tell me the surefire way to store them. Thanks!

Jen

[IMG]http://hillphoto.com/tville/onions-IMG_7649.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://hillphoto.com/tville/onion-IMG_7664.jpg[/IMG]

Pantyhose!!! [url]https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/2014/08/03/how-to-store-onions-using-pantyhose/[/url]

This is what I use. I stack two or three in my pantry cupboard. You can get them at Amazon or Home Depot.


[ATTACH]76899[/ATTACH]

Those are beautiful onions.
Use the red ones up first, like white onions they do not store well, the yellow ones should last longer. the floor in the basement would be the coolest place. single layer in cardboard boxes or on paper in plastic bins.
Use as many fresh as you can and if you start to notice any beginnings of sprouting, you can then chop, bag and freeze the rest in small "recipe sized" portions say 1 cup. Frozen chopped onions are actually quite convenient for things like spaghetti sauce, chili etc.
Well done growing those.
KarenO

Great looking onions! I also freeze a lot, especially sweets from the store, because they don't keep that well for me.

We store ours 1 layer deep in old coke flats, the ones that held 4 6-packs. The room they are in is unheated and stays about 65. When some start going soft or spoiling they get replanted and somehow or other most seem to cure and are ready to repick by April or May.

Jen, you got really great harvest and those look like well cured for storage.

I have usually stored my onions in room temperature in a basket and those have stayed good until next spring. Last year I left them in the garage, which has heating during winter, so that the temperature does not fall below 50[FONT=&quot]°[/FONT]F. The ones in garage stored also as well. Naturally, there were some which went soft before using and some started sprouting during spring, but I grow way too many for us to use, so it is not a problem to me.
Temperature in your basement should be OK for onions, but could it be too humid? The onions should be stored in dry location.


Sari

If your onions are spoiling you aren't eating enough onions.
Doctors recommend eating 7 to 10 large onions a day.

Worth

Those red onions look great. Better put them somewhere slightly warm then risk freeze. It's bad if a slight freeze goes over them, they get very sweet, and have a spongy, dry texture.
Some yellow ones have really good storage life, the reds are usually bad for this.

Copra is known for being hard and long lasting but dry is definitely the key to good storage. You must also cure them before storage to let the tops seal tightly shut.

I lay mine in a single layer outside in the carport out of the sun on wire sheets to dry completely for a few weeks before storing them in wooden baskets in my basement. If it is really humid outside like it sometimes is in August, then I will run a big box fan on them.

The temperature in my basement is about 55 degrees.

I also dice any damaged ones for the freezer. No blanching required and they work beautifully.

The red onions do not store as long so use them first.

Single layer lying on the pool table (covered in plastic) in our basement. We keep a dehumidifier running down there but I'm starting to think it's a little to warm for them. It's really my first year storing this many. But it won't be the last.

choose your varieties carefully. The sweetest onions I love can't be kept longer than 3 weeks...

I store mine in a cool place in the basement. Dixondale Farms sells green mesh sleeve netting that accomplishes the same thing that pantyhose does. Each one cost $1 if you buy 10; I think shipping is free. So I grow 4 different varieties and keeping each variety separate, load them into the sleeves tying off with a piece of yarn after each one. I can hang them on something or over pipes in the basement and they work great. Much cheaper than pantyhose, pretty sturdy and I can reuse them.

A picture can inspire ideas. This is in an open-faced barn in Texas.

Mine go in the house with climate control they last a good long time.
AND I dont mind the house smelling like onions.

Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;665713]Doctors recommend eating 7 to 10 large onions a day.Worth[/QUOTE]

Are these doctors unmarried?

I read somewhere that onions should be stored in the dark to prevent sprouting. :?!?: That is as well as being cool and dry. Those are great looking onions. :D I only grew a few last year, they were late and didn't cure really well (too many fat necks) but in any case I didn't have enough to worry about long storage.... nor to follow Worth's doctor's advice. :lol::twisted:

Good looking onions.
Red and white onions don't keep as long as yellow one. but to me they are more tasty That is my experience. Mine have come and gone long time ago.

Onions are kept longer at cool room temperature. In cold they tend to sprout. Same goes for storing garlic.

[QUOTE=bower;665776]I read somewhere that onions should be stored in the dark to prevent sprouting. :?!?: That is as well as being cool and dry. Those are great looking onions. :D I only grew a few last year, they were late and didn't cure really well (too many fat necks) but in any case I didn't have enough to worry about long storage.... nor to follow Worth's doctor's advice. :lol::twisted:[/QUOTE]

I don't think I'm going off-topic, but if if I am - I do apologise.

I have read that too, and the same about potatoes. But after thinking about it both will eventually grow eyes/leaves if left out in the light. However, if you bury either one - they'll produce plants even faster...when the weather/soil gets cool enough.

So far, those onions have lasted 4 months in that open-faced barn in Texas heat and only one has grown leaves...and it's a white onion (Not pictured). The yellow onions in the picture I shared are Texas 1015Y . The internet sites disagree with shelf life, but I've seen them only last a couple of months. ...I don't know, but something good/fun to think about.

jhp, those are wonderful looking onions.

Thanks everyone for sharing your advice and experience. Fingers crossed for me! Winter is a high onion use time for me with soups, stews, roasts, etc.

Jen

And goodness thanks so much for the kind words and compliments! Onions have been a sore spot for me in the garden in terms of getting a good harvest. So this feels good.

Jen

For 2018 I am cutting back on tomatoes and peppers and instead plan to plant more onions and garlic. Unlike tomato, onion and garlic can be kept for a good while . Besides , I use/cook with onion and garlic almost every day.
I don't know how to grow onions from seed. So I either buy sets or plants.

Growing onions from seed is actually easy. Where I'm at in zone 8A Texas, you start onion seeds in a flat in October. They need a light like the ones you use for starting tomatoes. Basically, onions are like edible chia plants/bonsai trees at that stage. You can give them a haircut.

Good things about growing from seed are:

1. Onion seeds are cheaper than buying sets.
2. There are more varieties to choose from - buy online if you have to.
3. It gives you something to grow during the winter.

The bad things are really simple.

1. Don't forget to water them.
2. Don't forget they need light.
3. Cats love to lay on them because they are under warm lights.

This next January, I'm going to buy sets locally in January to plant - because I have a lot going on otherwise.

Yesterday I was at the feed/seed store and bought one pound yellow onion sets.
They are like small cherry tomatoes in size.
I estimated to have about 150 of them.
Is it the right time to plant them in zone 8a, NC ?
Last year I planted some in the spring. They did ok but not very good.
Years ago I planted some in November , back in Atl. GA. Lots of them bolted , especially the red variety. So I should avoid red ones. Yellow variety seems to do better.

In zone 8A Texas, January is when to plant transplants/sets.

Here in southwest VA near the NC border I plant my onions first week of April. I am at 2600 ft altitude, so if you are on the NC coastal plain you may want to start them in mid-March.

I've grown my onions from seed for many years, and tried sets, but I find onion plants give me the largest onions. I buy the plants from Dixondale Farms in Texas and schedule delivery for the very end on March. I planted 475 onions this year for just my wife and I.... we love onions! Did an equal amount to garlic and won Grand Champion at the local county fair for both.

TomNJ/VA

I think one thing that is crucial is picking short day onions down here. I have tried lots of intermediate day and a few long day onions and none of them produce well and some didn't make any onions at all. The most dependable onion for me has been white Bermuda onions that I start from seed in October and set out in late December or January. They also will store well as long as they are kept in a fairly dry location. I just put mine in mesh bags that oranges come in and hang them. It is a good idea to check them from time to time by smelling them closely and if you smell something off check the bag and make sure one isn't rotting on you because it will spread fast.

Vidalia types do great down here but they don't store well at all. I have a friend who peels his Vidalias and puts them in zip lock bags in a refrigerator and says they keep well that way. I haven't tried it in large amounts but have stored small bags of peeled onions for several weeks at the time so it may work.

I ordered several varieties of short day onions to try besides the Bermudas this year. Living down here in the deep south growing long day onions isn't a choice but they are usually the varieties that will keep the best as storage onions.

Bill

Short day vs Intermediate onions
 

This is my second year of growing bulbing onions and I grow my plants from seed just like I do my scallions (in market packs under lights). This past October I set out Red Creole (short day) and Australian Brown (intermediate day) as I did Oct '16. They both produced beautiful onions. However, the Red Creole bolted last spring and they're starting to bolt now. The Browns didn't bolt last year and so far haven't this year.

I think it has to do with the weather. Both last year and this year we had really warm Februarys with highs in the 70's. Then in both Marches we ran into several 5-7 day stretches of highs in the upper 30's-low 40's before it warmed up nicely again. My guess is that the onions thought they had gone through winter again and decided it was time to set seed.

Should I try a different short day this fall to replace Red Creole? The current plan for this fall is to just grow the Australian Brown, also try another intermediate and forget the short day onions. Maybe intermediates are more tolerant of temp swings?

I only grow two 18' rows of onions as I have limited storage space to keep them cool. Of course, bolted onions won't store well anyway according to what I've read. I had them start going bad even before they were cured enough to store. :(

Any input would be appreciated!

Like I said in another thread.
Onions are complicated.:dizzy:
Yes they thought they went through two years in one and set seeds.

Onions will bolt when they get I think about 5 to 7 leaves on them if they think it is the second year or it is the second year.
If they think it is the first year then you want as many leaves on them as you can get.
13 to 14 will make a good size onion.
Each leaf is a layer of onion.
Chopping leaves to the ground and stomping over said leaves will not make a bigger bulb.