Storing vegetables the right way helps to slow down their rotting process – and that’s even the case with long-lasting vegetables like onions.
Whether it’s the pungent taste of a red onion or the subtle presence of white onions, these vegetables are essential in cooking.
From soups to homemade sauces, as well as in salads and sandwiches, they are stars in a variety of dishes.
For this reason – and because onions can stay fresh for months at a time – it’s practical to have some stashed in your kitchen ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
But how they’re stored can dictate how long you’re able to preserve the vegetable’s flavour, texture and freshness.
Taking to TikTok to share an unusual way to keep onions fresh for eight to 12 months longer, onion experts @shumanfarmsga have posted an “effective” storage tip.
Demonstrating with Vidalia onions, the experts claimed that households can use tights as a “very effective” method to store this vegetable.
In the video, they said: “I know it might seem silly, but it really works. You can get eight to 12 months extra time on your onions.”
To do so the experts recommended: “Store onions in the legs of clean sheer pantyhose (tights) by tying a knot between each onion and hanging them in a cool, dry and well-ventilated area.”
In general, onions like air, dry climates, and cool temperatures. Maintaining optimal storage conditions will extend their shelf life significantly.
The ideal temperature to store onions is around seven to 12 degrees and they need to be kept out of direct sunlight.
Heat created by sunlight or other sources can encourage the growth of spoilage microbes such as mould. Therefore your pantry is a “great place” to keep them. Then simply cut above the knot to use an onion.
While they can be stored whole in the fridge, this causes the onion to convert starch to sugar and can result in soft or soggy onions. What’s more, the onion absorbs the moisture from its humid surroundings, which also results in an unpleasant softening in texture.
However, once an onion has been cut, store it in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably a glass one, as plastic absorbs odours.
