How to properly store onions in an apartment

Collecting fresh vegetables from the garden, we not only enjoy them in the summer, but also make preparations and supplies for the winter. Each vegetable has its own optimal storage time. The very first vegetable to leave the garden is onion. Growing a good harvest of onions is great, but now it still needs to be preserved. And for this it is necessary not only to assemble it correctly, but also to prepare it for long-term storage.

And this is where many different questions arise. Under what conditions are onions stored better? How should it be stored in an apartment? What preparatory work is needed? And which onions are good for long-term storage, and which ones are not?

Harvesting onions and preparing for long-term storage

In order for the onion to be well and for a long time stored, it must be ripe and not damaged. An unripe onion still does not have enough scales, its thick neck may still be susceptible to infection with diseases that will cause the fruit to rot. Onions that have “sat out” in the garden can begin to grow again and even take root. Such fruits will not withstand long-term storage.

When it is time to harvest the onion, you can see by the condition of its fruit. In ripe onions, the neck of the bulb is very thin, and the onion feathers are almost dry. Depending on the variety of this vegetable crop, onions ripen 3-4 months after planting. This usually happens at the end of summer.

Ripe onion fruits need additional drying even after harvesting. That is why you need to harvest onions on a sunny and dry day, so that you can immediately dry them.

It does not always happen that the ripening time of onions perfectly coincides with good weather. On the street are sunny days, and the onions are not yet ripe, what to do in this case? Try to bring it a little closer to ripening by going for a little trick.

To do this, you need a pitchfork, with the help of which the onion is slightly undermined so that its roots can be "undermined". In this case, the necessary moisture and nutrients will cease to flow through the root system. The onion feathers will begin to dry out, and ripening will accelerate.

Onions ripe and dug out of the ground should lie in their garden for a day, or even two. Only then can it be cut and stored. The nutritional qualities of the vegetable and the suitability for long-term storage after such a "rest" will only increase.

How to dry onions

How long the onion can last depends on proper drying. Therefore, you should not rush this process and shorten its time. The best place to dry fruits is in natural conditions: in a garden bed in the sun. The sun's heat will not only dry the fruits well, but also destroy harmful microorganisms and even disinfect the bulbs.

Experienced gardeners advise keeping onions in the garden for a week, or two, if the weather permits. What must be done is to turn the bulbs over from time to time so that they dry evenly on all sides.

In case of unfavorable weather conditions, you can use air drying.For this, any room with good ventilation or a place in a draft (balcony, canopy, veranda, etc.) is suitable.

If the climatic conditions in your area are unfavorable for growing onions or the whole season was rainy and cool, then you should use the advice of experienced vegetable growers. Onions grown under such conditions must be peeled as much as possible before drying. In the process of drying, practically bare onions will acquire new dry scales, and this will not affect the storage duration in any way, quite the opposite - such onions will be preserved better.

You can use shell nets to dry onions. The onions on them do not even need to be turned over, since air access to the fruits is free.

How do you know when you can finish drying? This will show the condition of the onion skins. If it is dry enough, then a hand thrust into the onion pile will easily slip into it. If the husk is not dry enough, then the hand will be difficult to pass. This means that it is too early to store the onions.

When the fruits are completely dry, you can choose the storage method. If you store the bulbs in braids, then the dry feathers are not cut, only the roots need to be cut. With other storage methods, most of the feathers are cut, leaving only small "tails" (about 5 centimeters long).

How to store onions in an apartment

The next required step is sorting. Bulbs are classified according to size and quality. Small and damaged onions are left for quick use; they are not suitable for long-term storage. And healthy and large fruits are laid separately.

To store onions, you need to choose a dry place, and the container should be with good air exchange. This can be a pantry, an insulated balcony, a mezzanine and boxes (made of different materials), baskets, nets.

The most common places and methods for storing onions:

• Baskets made from natural materials are not only decorative, but also an ideal place to store onions. This is a place with excellent air exchange.
• Boxes made of wood and plastic are not only well ventilated, but also do not take up much space, since they can be stacked one on top of the other.
• You can use boxes made of thick cardboard with holes made in them for air access.
• In the pantry, you can hang old stockings filled with bulbs for storage.
• Small bags made of natural fabric or paper will be a good "container" for onions.
• Artificial nets for selling and storing vegetables can also be used. They have one additional plus - a good overview of the vegetables.
• One of the old and proven ways is to store onions in braids. Such bundles require patience and hard work, but the result is also a decoration for the kitchen.
• It is good to store the onion in plenty of onion skins or sprinkle it with chalk. This will protect the fruits from rotting and germination, as excess moisture will be taken up.

During the entire storage period, it is worth at least a couple of times to sort and inspect the whole onion. And then, following all the above rules and tips, your stocks of onions will never be lost in your apartment in winter.