How to Harvest, Cure and Store Onions
Globe Onions
If you ask a roomful of good cooks what vegetable they consider indispensible, many will name the onion. Globe onions are an essential ingredient in most soups, stews and main dishes. They add pizzazz to pizza and sizzle to steaks. Another great thing about globe onions is their long shelf life. Kept in a cool, dark location, they're always on hand when needed. In fact, when stored correctly in their own papery wrappers, some varieties will maintain their eating quality for as long as a year.
How You Know When Onions are Ready to Harvest
Harvesting onions is easy, and is the same for all globe onions. By midsummer, when the bulbs start to fatten up, you can begin harvesting individual onions as needed. In late summer or early fall, the leaves on your onion plants will start to flop over. This happens at the "neck" of the onion and it signals that the plant has stopped growing and is ready for storage. Onions should be harvested soon thereafter.
Harvesting and Curing Tips
If the weather is dry and there's no danger of frost, the plants can be gently pulled from the soil and laid right in the garden for a day or two. If the weather is wet or frost is possible, move the onions immediately into a protected spot. The floor of the garage or a covered porch works well. Spread the onions out in a single layer, taking care not to bump or bruise them. Leave them spread out in a single layer. Warm (75-80 degrees F), dry and breezy is ideal. As the onions are curing, their necks will gradually wither and the papery skins will tighten around the bulbs. Once the necks are completely tight and dry, and the stems contain no moisture, you can use scissors to trim the roots off the bottom of each bulb. The leaves can also be trimmed to within 1″ of the bulb. Cull any onions that still have green necks, or have bruised or damaged bulbs. Bring the onions indoors and store them in mesh bags, a bushel basket, orchard rack, or a flat cardboard box with some holes punched in it.
How Long Will they Keep?
Mild onions should be used up within a few weeks. Pungent onions that will be stored for the winter need to be cured for two to four weeks. A good storage onion stored properly will retain its eating quality for 10 to 12 months. For best results, onions should be stored in a dark, cool space (35 to 40 degrees F) like a cellar, garage or shed.
How to Tell The Difference Between Mild and Pungent Onions
There are two main types of globe onions: pungent and mild. Mild onions are typically large and juicy with thick rings and thin, papery skins that peel easily. They can be cooked, but can also be eaten raw on sandwiches or burgers. And mild onions are the ones you want inside an onion ring. Unfortunately, mild onions are poor keepers. Even in ideal storage conditions, they will only maintain their eating quality for a couple months. So if you grow both mild and pungent onions, eat the mild ones first. A bumper crop of mild onions can be preserved in pickles, salsas and chutneys or you can turn them into caramelized onions.
Popular "mild" onion varieties:
- Spanish
- Bermuda
- Vidalia
- Walla Walla Sweet
Pungent onions are usually smaller in size, have thinner rings, tighter skins and make your eyes sting when you cut them. The same sulfurous compounds that draw tears inhibit rot, so the more pungent the onion the longer it will store.
Popular "pungent" onion varieties:
- Candy
- Copra
- Red Weathersfield
- Ebenezer
Last updated: 01/30/2021
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