How To Get Your Onions To Store ALL WINTER Long

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When it comes to growing vegetables, it doesn’t get much easier than onions. Just plant them in the garden, give them a little water, and these distinctive, dependable vegetables are ready to harvest almost before you know it.

Once harvested, onions can last weeks and even months if they’re properly cured and stored, and you can grab one for the kitchen whenever you need it. Here’s how to harvest, cure and store onions.

Harvesting Onions

Onions are ready to harvest when the tops begin to flop over and turn yellow. This means the plant has finished growing and the leaves no longer need to provide energy to the bulb. It isn’t necessary to wait until the tops are completely dry.

Don’t harvest the onions right away, though, unless rain is predicted. Instead, stop watering and give them a week or 10 days to finish maturing. If weather turns damp and rainy, then go ahead and harvest.

The best time to harvest onions is during the morning when weather is dry and sunlight is less intense. Loosen the soil around the plants carefully with a spade or garden fork, and then pull the onions gently from the ground. Lay the onions on top of the soil for a day or two to dry. If the weather is hot, cover them lightly with straw to prevent sunburn. If the soil is wet, put the onions in a protected spot like a patio or garage. Handle the onions with care to avoid cuts and bruises. You even can hang the onions over a fence if you live in a dry climate.

Curing Onions

If you want to store onions, curing is a critical step that allows the onions to form a papery, protective covering. If you plan to use onions soon, don’t bother curing them, as there’s no need. Keep in mind that mild, sweet onions don’t store as long as sharp, pungent onions. If you grow both types, then use the sweet onions first and save the pungent onions for storage. Some popular onions that store well include Copra, Southport Red Globe, Redwing, White Sweet Spanish and Downing Yellow Globe.

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To cure the onions, place them in a clean, dry, shady, well-ventilated spot with stems still attached. If you’re short on space and need to cure the onions outdoors, spread the onions in a single layer and cover them with a light sheet to prevent sunburn, and then anchor the rocks in place with rocks. Never cover them with plastic, as lack of air circulation can cause the onions to rot.

Allow the onions to cure for two or three weeks, until the papery skin is tight and crispy and the roots are dry. Turn them every few days so they cure evenly. Set any soft onions aside for immediate use.

Storing Onions

Brush the onions gently with your fingers to remove remaining dirt, and then trim the tops to about an inch with scissors before you store the onions. You can also trim the roots.

Sort through the onions again. If any are bruised, store them in the refrigerator and use them soon. Like apples, one bad onion can ruin the entire batch. Also, do not store onions near potatoes.

Place onions in a wooden crate or a nylon or mesh bag – that is, a dark area — and store them in a cool, dry place where temperatures are kept between 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but never freezing.

Check the onions every few weeks and remove any that are turning soft.

What your onion storage tips? Share them in the section below:

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5 Unusual Uses For Onions (Got Ant Problems? Then Try No. 3!)

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My grandmother was known for squeezing a penny so hard it practically would turn into a wire! When I was a kid, though, I didn’t appreciate some of the things she knew. Today, I do.

Our ancestors who lived through the Great Depression – like my grandmother – acquired knowledge the old-fashioned away. That is, by trial and error.

Today we are going to take a look at the lowly onion and all the unusual ways that our ancestors used them.

1. Remove rust

OK, so you might cry a bit when you try this, but you can tell people they are tears of joy! Onions are super-effective rust removers! Put down that steel wool and stick your rusty knife or scissors into a big onion three or four times.

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Be careful not to cut your hand, though. Your super-rusty knives might need a half-dozen thrusts to remove that oxidation, but this works surprisingly well.

2. Remove splinters

This sounds crazy, but it works and is especially good for children. When you get a splinter that’s giving you trouble, simply tape a piece of onion over the splinter. (By “tape,” I mean anything that will hold it in place — a cutoff sock, a bandage or what have you.) Leave it there for two or three hours. When you remove the onion, the splinter should be gone.

3. Insect and animal repellent

Poor onions! It seems no one likes the way they smell. If neighborhood cats or dogs find your garden attractive, then put a few slices of onions in the area that they frequent. This also works for ants, although you must replace the onion slices every few days until you are certain that the ants have made tracks elsewhere.

My grandmother also used to put onion slices in every room of the house when someone had a cold or the flu. She thought it would absorb the virus from the air. It never seemed to work, but it certainly didn’t hurt anything.

4. Ease congestion from colds

If you have a super-stuffed-up nose, then try my grandmother’s recipe! She would put two or three big slices of onion in a jar of honey and let it set for a few hours. To clear up your stuffed head and ease a sore throat, a big tablespoon of that “onion honey” is all you need!

5. Easier wintertime driving

You can easily stop frost from forming on the windshield of your car by cutting an onion in half and rubbing the cut half on the glass the night before. It works like magic! If the windshield is a bit hazy in the morning from onion juice, then just use your windshield washer or pour a bit of cool water on it and run your wipers.

What are your best onion ideas? Share your tips in the section below: