The Best Way to Store Onions

To ensure onions last as long as possible, proper storage is essential. Depending on how you’re storing whole onions and shallots, or peeled, cooked, and pickled varieties, they last several days to months.
Onions are arguably one of the most indispensable ingredients in the kitchen.
They come in many sizes, shapes and colors, each with their unique uses in cooking.

Being a culinary staple, people tend to buy them in bulk. Unfortunately, they often go soft or start sprouting before you get around to using them.
To avoid waste and save money, people often wonder about the best way to store onions.
This article tells you everything you need to know about how to store onions.

It’s Best to Store Regular Onions in a Cool, Dry, Dark and Well-Ventilated Room
Regular, yellow onions are available throughout the year.
According to the National Onion Association (NOA), they are best stored in a cool, dry, dark and well-ventilated room, such as a pantry, cellar, basement or garage (1).

This is because they easily absorb moisture. If temperatures or humidity are too high, they may start to sprout or rot (2Trusted Source).
One study found that storing onions at 40–۵۰°F (4–۱۰°C) is ideal. At these temperatures, they best maintain their characteristics (3Trusted Source).
It’s also important to ensure proper ventilation to prevent molding and rotting. An open basket, bamboo steamer, mesh bag, netted bag or even pantyhose will do.

Avoid leaving onions in plastic bags, as this may make them spoil quickly due to poor ventilation.
Furthermore, darkness helps them last longer. The lack of sunlight reduces changes in temperature and humidity, two factors that can cause them to go bad faster.
Avoid Storing Whole Onions in the Fridge
Store-bought onions have papery skin, as they have been cured soon after harvesting.

Curing helps remove excess moisture, allowing them to last longer.
That’s why onions are best stored in a cool but dry, dark and well-ventilated place. These conditions ensure that they don’t absorb too much moisture or experience heat or humidity.
Storing whole onions in the fridge exposes them to cold, humid conditions. Since they absorb moisture very easily, they may become mushy and spoil faster.

The Best Way to Store Shallots
Shallots are closely related to onions and can be stored in a similar way, namely in a cool, dry, dark and well-ventilated place such as the pantry, cellar, basement or garage.