There is an underlying anxious feeling about buying your fruits and veggies and how long they will last, particularly as the warm weather creeps up. Sometimes, particularly after a big shop, not all ingredients are used and they risk spoiling quicker if stored incorrectly.
While it could be assumed that chucking food in a container or the fridge is sealed proof your staple kitchen essentials will last a long time, this is not always the case. But there are methods and hacks that can ensure your kitchen ingredients will not spoil as quickly.
Onions, one of the most versatile ingredients in everybody’s kitchen, can last for up to 180 days in the colder months, according to the US-based National Onion Association, if stored accordingly to their guidelines.
But according to the website Olive & Barr, whole onions can last even longer than that – and all thanks to a pair of thin tights.
The website reads: “They don’t have to be your favourite pair from M&S, just an old pair that have maybe seen better days.
“Once you have that, pop your onions in one by one, tying a knot between each one before storing them in a dark, dry place. Yes, your family will probably question your life choices at first, but we guarantee they’ll start copying you before long.”
According to the website, this storage hack would see the onions last for as long as eight months.
Onions are arguably among the most widely used ingredients, they have the ability to lift, deepen, or intensify the flavuors of any dish they are added to.
It’s not surprising they are so common in the kitchen, and not just because of their rich flavour. They provide a lot of nutritional value that many may not be aware of, such as potassium, which is good for heart health and the nervous system, and Vitamin C, which is good for the skin and keeps you looking younger because of the boost of collagen production.