Garlic and onions are kitchen staples that are needed for most of our favourite dinners, from bolognese to a Sunday roast, but it is really annoying if they spoil before their time. It can be frustrating to be in the middle of cooking only to discover your onions or garlic is rotting, but this often happens because they are being stored the wrong way.
Onions and garlic dislike humidity, so they should never be kept in plastic packaging as it will trap moisture which will cause them to go soft and mouldy. Camille Hoffmann, an expert from Cook’n, has shared storing garlic and onions properly is actually very easy, as all you need is a paper bag.
She said: “The waste of onions took a serious decline once I learned this neat little trick. It’s a unique way of storing onions and garlic – and it has truly worked! It involves paper bags, a hole punch, and some hand muscle.”
Onions and garlic both contain a lot of water, and if they are stored in a humid environment they will begin to break down and release a lot of moisture.
Moisture is what causes onions and garlic to rot as it breaks down their protective skins to shorten their shelf life and even make them taste bitter.
However, paper is a breathable material which allows more air to circulate around the garlic and onions, which helps keep their environment much dryer.
If you punch more holes in the paper bag then it allows air to reach the onions and garlic stored at the bottom, so all your bulbs will stay fresh for much longer.
How to store onions and garlic properly
All you need to do is fold a paper bag in half, then fold it again lengthwise. This makes it easier to punch even holes in the bag so you can be done in just a few minutes.
Camille said: “This will help to cut down the amount of hole punching you need to do; I promise your hands will be wanting as much of a break as possible with all the hole punching you will be doing
“But it will be worth it when you grab that onion two months later and it’s still as fresh as the day you bought it from the store!”
Then, simply punch holes evenly across the surface. You do not need to overdo it as 10 to 15 holes will be enough.
Unfold the bag, fill it up with onions or garlic, and they should they fresh for months rather than just a few weeks.
It is important to be careful where you place you onions and garlic. Do not place them in the fridge, as the humidity will cause them to sprout.
However, they also need to be protected if stored at room temperature as the steam from cooking in the kitchen can make quickly turn them soft and mushy.
Onions and garlic need to be kept away from heat and light as well as moisture, so it tends to be best to store them in a cupboard, drawer or a kitchen pantry if you have one.
