Sweet Frugal Life

Being Frugal Doesn't Make Life Any Less Sweet

  • Start Here
  • Budgeting
  • Frugal
    • Frugal Living
    • Travel
    • Gift Ideas
    • Good Deals
    • Gift Ideas
  • Parenting
    • Money Education
    • Holidays
    • Crafts
  • Recipes
    • Breads
    • Dinner
    • Cleaners
  • Recipe Book
  • About
    • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

How to Store Onions From the Garden

September 9, 2019 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

The best way to preserve onions from the garden.

It’s officially harvest time at my house.  I love this time of year.  When the fields turn golden, the garden is producing, and I can finally enjoy the fruits of our labor.  I have been curing my onions the past couple of weeks and am excited to have them saved in my home to enjoy throughout the winter months.  Onions are one of the easiest garden crops to grow.  They are very low maintenance and easy to harvest and store.  I’m excited to show you today how to store onions from the garden (which is so easy PS!).

Harvesting Onions

There are two main signs telling you that your onions are ready to harvest.

The first is that the green stems will begin falling over.

The second sign is that the onions will be large and sticking out of the ground.

Harvesting onions are really easy.  All you need to do is pull the onions out by grabbing down them by the bulb and yanking them out of the ground.  Most of the onions will come up fairly quick and easy!  Fill that wheelbarrow up with onions and you’re ready to store them!

 

Now, it’s time to preserve your onions.  You can do this by curing them or freezing them!  I like to do both and will explain both options below!

How to Freeze Onions

I love to freeze onions!  It makes meal prep so quick and easy to just grab them out off the freezer and they are already chopped and ready to use.

First, you need to chop the onions into tiny pieces.  (secretly, I totally wear swimming goggles when I do this to help prevent crying….it works!)

 

Next, lay the chopped onions onto a cookie sheet.  You want them in a single layer and not touching each other as much as possible.

Stick the cookie sheets into your freezer.  We are doing what’s called a “flash freeze.”  I explain the purpose of the flash freeze in my Quick Start Guide to Frugal Living.

Let the onions freeze on the cookie sheet for 2-3 hours or until frozen.

Once frozen, pull them out of the freezer and scoop the onions into ziplock freezer bags.

     

Label your freezer bag with the contents and year and then stick it into your freezer.  These will stay good for up to one year.

  • Related:  How to Blanche and Freeze Your Garden Peas

How to Cure Onions

If you want to store your onions for long term storage they will need to be cured first, don’t worry it’s so easy!!

After harvesting your onions place them in a dry and shaded spot.  You don’t want them to get wet or to much direct sunlight. In a garage or under a porch is perfect for this!  Don’t worry about windy conditions.  This will actually help them to cure quicker.

Let your onions cure for about 3-4 weeks.  You will know they are done when their stems are completely dry and brown. 

Check your onions to make sure they all cured correctly.  If you find a few with bruised spots or didn’t completely cure just toss them out.  I don’t worry about those to much.

Now just cut the stem off using scissors and place them in a basket or mesh bag.  Make sure they have air circulation and are only stacked three deep.

Keep your cured onions in a dark, dry, cool place for 6-12 months.  A basement storage room works great for this!

In Conclusion

Onions are one of the easiest garden produce to preserve.  Let me know if you have any other questions!  I’m always happy to help!

 

Related Articles:

9 Vegetables to Grow in Your Beginner Garden

How to Freeze Raspberries

Pin For Later:

how to freeze onions - how to store onions long term

I hope you now understand how to store onions!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hello! I’m Melanie!

Follow me on social!

Want more frugal tips?

Terms and Conditions

Disclaimer

Copyright © 2021 · Modern Blogger Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.