Almost every kitchen pantry contains onions, and for a good reason too! It can transform a dish from ordinary to unique. Although onions may stay far longer than most products, many individuals are unsure how to store onions properly. Counter? Fridge? Whole? Cut? Continue reading to learn more.
How Do You Store Onions?
The Best Way to Store Onions
Onions prefer dark, dry, and chilly crevices. A refrigerator is damp and cold (not cool) (not dry). Your onions are more prone to become mushy in the fridge, which could cause them to spoil.
Store whole onions away from light if at all feasible. Onions are still living bulbs; light triggers their sprouting, which is undesirable because it alters their flavor.
Refrain from storing whole onions in plastic bags. Mold can develop when moisture is trapped. Onions should be able to breathe and take them out of the plastic bag if they are in one.
To help keep moisture levels low, it is ideal to use storage containers with perforated or mesh walls for more excellent airflow. If you only need to store the onions for a day or two, a bowl on the counter or in a cabinet will do.
A wire-mesh or perforated plastic bin in a cool cupboard works excellent. Another fantastic, dark spot is a cellar. Even if it’s not particularly practical, you can always store a few onions in the kitchen on hand and the larger quantity downstairs for long-term storage.
How Should I Store Cut or Peeled Onions?
To prevent infection, it is advisable to store an onion in the refrigerator once it has been peeled. Raw onions should also be chilled and stored in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. When kept in this manner, they will survive seven to ten days.
Onions that have been cooked need to be refrigerated and kept in an airtight container. Cooked onions will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days, like most leftovers.
Another benefit of storing onions in the refrigerator is that the cold slows down the enzymes that cause those annoying onion tears.
When Frozen, How Long do Onions Stay Fresh?
Happy news to increase the shelf life of raw onions, you can freeze them. The onions should first be peeled, then chopped or sliced as desired. Please put them in a freezer bag or airtight container, or carefully wrap them in plastic or aluminum foil. In the freezer, raw onions can be stored for up to eight months. If kept in an airtight container or freezer bag, cooked onions can be frozen for up to a year.
How to Spot a Bad or Spoiled Onion?
The three senses of color, sensation, and smell can all be used to determine whether onions are terrible. Onions that have been spoiled may get dark stains, which will eventually start to sprout mold. Additionally, it would help if you stayed away from growing onions because this is a sign that they are beginning to spoil.
To determine how fresh your onions are, you can also feel them. Onions that have soft or mushy patches are beginning to spoil.
Who could forget the sniff test, too? Naturally, onions will start to smell different as they deteriorate. Let’s say that if your onions begin to smell like anything other than onion, it’s probably time to say out with the old and in with the new. Of course, some of us don’t find the scent of raw onion pleasant, to begin with.
Look
Watch out for rotten whole onions developing dark stains on their outer layer that will start to sprout mold. Additionally, they will begin to grow green shoots from the top. Onions that have been chopped, sliced, or halved may begin to grow mold. There appear to be fine white hairs.
Feel
Feel the whole onion; it should be firm and smooth. They have started to degrade if they have soft patches. If an onion is halved, chopped, or sliced and has a slimy quality, it has gone rotten.
Smell
Check the smell; rotting onions will begin to smell awful. Many people dislike the smell of onions, but anything that doesn’t smell like or smells even worse indicates that they have gone rotten.
How Long do Entire Onions Stay Fresh?
Onions should ideally be kept between 45 and 55 degrees F in an excellent, dark environment. When kept in a dry, wonderful atmosphere, whole, raw onions can be kept for two to three months. Your garage, pantry, unheated basement, or cellar may all offer these circumstances.
Finding a space in our houses that is as cool as this can be difficult for many of us. If this applies to you, keeping onions in the refrigerator might be best for the most extended possible shelf life.
They will also last for at least two to three months in the refrigerator, but keep in mind that because onions are such good moisture-absorbers, the texture may become a little mushy there.
However, whole, raw onions will last two to four weeks at room temperature if you have to store them there due to a lack of refrigerator space.
Ensure adequate ventilation to avoid mold when keeping onions, whether at room temperature or in a refrigerator. You can use a paper bag with a loosely covering, a mesh bag, or an open basket. Never keep onions in a plastic bag since the ventilation won’t be adequate.
It’s vital to remember that meals like potatoes should be stored away from items that release moisture. If you still have an antique potato and onion bin and are debating whether to get rid of it, make sure the compartments are separate and have enough ventilation so that the gases don’t mix. If that is the case, you can feel comfortable about keeping it within the family. If not (and your onions or potatoes begin to sprout before you believe they should) think about changing your storage.
How are Onions Stored for a Month?
There are numerous ways to keep onions fresh for a month or longer. Storing raw onions in a cool, dry area is a good idea in the first scenario. Whole onions can also be kept longer than a month using the proper ventilation techniques, which will be covered later.
The onion can be frozen as a backup plan. Make sure to dry out the storage container as much as you can. The onion won’t be too mushy for a good cooked outcome in the future if moisture is removed.
Avoid using plastic wrap or storing onions in plastic bags if you want to keep them in storage for a long time. The ventilation for the onion is reduced by plastic wrap and bags, which causes the onion to rot considerably more quickly.
Can Potatoes and Onions be Stored Together?
While potatoes and onions require a similar environment to stay fresh (a cold, dry, and darkroom), they shouldn’t be kept close to one another in storage. Potatoes spoil more quickly when served with onions, and vice versa. The onion will absorb the additional moisture found in potatoes, and onions become soggy due to the excess water. For the same reason, potatoes will likewise become bad. As a moist vegetable, onions release moisture into the air around them. Potatoes sprout more quickly in humid environments.
What are the Health Benefits of Eating Onion?
Full with Nutrients
Onions are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals since they are nutrient-dense foods. A medium onion contains only 44 calories and is a significant source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Vitamin C, a nutrient essential for maintaining the immunological function, collagen synthesis, tissue healing, and iron absorption, is particularly abundant in this crop.
Additionally, vitamin C functions as a potent antioxidant in your body, guarding your cells from harm from unstable molecules called free radicals.
Additionally, onions are a good source of B vitamins like pyridoxine (B6) and folate (B9), essential for creating red blood cells, neurological function, and metabolism. Last, they contain potassium, a nutrient many people need.
Potassium is essential for healthy cellular activity, fluid balance, nerve conduction, renal function, and muscle contraction.
Include Chemicals that Fight Cancer
Eating foods from the Allium genus, such as garlic and onions, has reduced the risk of several malignancies, including colorectal and stomach cancers.
According to a study of 26 research, those who eat the most allium veggies had a 22 percent lower risk of developing stomach cancer than those who consumed the least.
In addition, an analysis of 16 research involving 13,333 persons found that those who consumed the most onions had a 15% lower risk of colorectal cancer than those who consumed the least.
Allium veggies include antioxidant sulfur compounds and flavonoid chemicals connected to these anti-cancer abilities.
For instance, onions contain onion in A. This sulfur-containing molecule has been demonstrated in test-tube tests to reduce tumor formation and prevent the spread of ovarian and lung cancer.
Additionally, onions contain flavonoid antioxidants fisetin and quercetin, which may slow the growth of tumors.
Name Different Types of Onions?
White Onion
We like to use white onions in salads and sandwiches because they are often the mildest onion kinds. In general, the white onion is what you want to choose if you eat an onion raw. Even if they are already very calm, you can further cool their flame by slicing one thinly and letting it soak in cold water for an hour. They will be so sweet when they come out that you could almost eat them like a salad. (Okay, maybe that’s over the top, but the flavor will drastically improve, and you can eat a lot more of them.)
You’ll also find references to Vidalia and Maui onions in the same category as white onions. Both varieties of white onions are white, but their sugar level is substantially higher, and their sulfur concentration is even lower (the stuff that gives onions that sharp smell and flavor). When a recipe specifically calls for a “sweet onion,” Maui and Vidalia onions should be used; however, a white onion would work in a pinch.
Red Onion
The red onion’s biggest asset is its sweetness. Compared to a white onion, it has a sharper flavor and a slightly more robust aroma but contains a lot more sugar. Because of their inherent sweetness, they are a perfect option for pickling, which we love to do while making tacos, pizza, or fried rice. A red onion’s hue is another evident attraction, and other onions lack the great color diversity that this deep red shade offers.
Red onions are also our go-to ingredient while grilling. When cut into wedges, they cook well and have a jammy internal texture instead of becoming mushy like white and yellow onions usually do.
Yellow Onion
A raw yellow onion should not be consumed. Because we care about the health and wellbeing of our nostrils and taste senses, we always boil these onions. (As well as those of our lovers and friends.) A yellow onion, often known as a Spanish onion, has a superb flavor in its aggressive way, but it also contains a lot of sulfur. We prefer yellow onions whenever we caramelize because cooking off the intense sharpness makes room for the sweet onion taste to bloom. When compared to white onions, caramelizing yellow onions yields substantially more flavor. Your hamburger will be grateful.
Conclusion
Onions can be stored in a variety of ways. An array of airtight containers, mesh bags, refrigerators, and basements are all viable options. Generally, keeping onions in the dark, excellent, ventilated place would be best. Onions give off gas, so they don’t like plastic bags and should be stored in a cool, dark place. Potatoes, for example, can cause onions to sprout prematurely.
