Important rules on how to store onions at home

Lack of a cellar is not a reason to give up onion stocks for the winter. This unpretentious vegetable can stay fresh for a long time even at home.

Compliance with simple recommendations will allow you to eat it until the onset of heat.

How to properly prepare and store onions at home (in an apartment, in a house) in winter until spring, read the article.

Preparing for storage in an apartment until spring

Harvest preparation for storage is carried out with great care.... If at this stage some errors are made, then the onion will not lie even for several months.

All the most important things about onion storage can be found in this section.

Variety selection

Only late-ripening varieties are suitable for storage. They should have dense thick scales and a pungent taste. The abundance of essential oils and multi-layer "chain mail" protects vegetables from rot and pests.

The longest dormant period for varieties such as:

1. Rostov local.
2. Arzamassky.
3. Strigunovsky.
4. Sturon.
5. Timiryazevsky.
6. The farmer is late.

Bulbs with white and red husks and mild flavors, for example, Yalta or Snowball, are stored worse. If you plan to leave the crop for the winter, then you need to take care of choosing the right variety in the spring.

Drying

Dry onions for at least 2 weeks. This period is a kind of quarantine period during which it is possible to identify all specimens affected by rot.

They start harvesting from the beds on a warm sunny day. Drying features:

1. Shake the soil off the onion and leave it for 2 hours in the garden. The sun's rays will disinfect and dry the feather and scales.
2. Cover the bulbs with a cloth at night to protect them from dew.
3. After 2 days, the crop is transferred to a barn or attic, scattering it in a thin layer.
4. After 7 days, the onions are sorted out and all healthy specimens are sent for drying.
5. Leave the heads indoors for another 7 days.

After the final sorting, you can harvest the crop to the place of permanent wintering.Indicators of high-quality dried onions: smoothness and dryness of the head, no traces of spoilage and a dry, closed neck.

In what container?

In an apartment, bulbs can be stored in several ways:

• in wooden or plastic boxes;
• in cardboard boxes;
• in wicker baskets with a volume of 5-6 liters;
• in fabric bags made of linen, burlap or cotton;
• in paper bags;
• in polypropylene meshes;
• in nylon stockings.

If no suitable container was found, you can weave braids from the dried arrows and hang them on the crossbar in the pantry. For a strong tie, use twine or straw.

Optimal conditions

Onion in the apartment stored under the following conditions:

1. Indoor air temperature - from +18 to +22 degrees.
2. The air temperature on the balcony or on the loggia is from -1 to 3 degrees.
3. Air humidity not higher than 65-70%.

The temperature at which it is best to store onions will tell you this article.

How to properly preserve houses in winter?

Until the cold weather, the crop can be kept on the balcony. After the temperature drops below -1 degrees, it is brought into the apartment.

In fridge

Onions can be stored in the refrigerator in 2 ways:

1. In the lower vegetable drawer... This is not the best option, as in a month the bulbs will begin to sprout.

   Therefore, a small amount of root crops is removed for storage, which will be consumed within a short time period.

2. In the freezer... Vegetables need to be peeled, chopped and placed in plastic bags.

   They are packed in small portions, which will be used at a time. Re-freezing the product is not allowed.

In the freezer, chopped onions remain edible for 8-13 months.

At room temperature

A small amount of onions can be kept in the drawer of the lower kitchen cabinet. Many headsets are provided with special pallets. Under these conditions, root vegetables can stay fresh for about 1-2 months.

If the indoor temperature remains at +22 degrees, the harvest will last about 4 months.

On the balcony

On the balcony, vegetables can be stored until the air temperature drops below -1 degrees. If it is insulated, vegetables are left there to winter.... They are placed in boxes, which are placed on thick foam and covered with a blanket.

However, over-wrapping can cause vegetables to sprout. Therefore, the crop should be inspected from time to time.

To maintain a stable temperature and humidity, sprinkle vegetables with calcined sand or chalk... This measure prevents the growth of microorganisms.

In the pantry

The bulk of the vegetables are sent for storage in the pantry. The air temperature there is lower than in the whole apartment. In such conditions, the bulbs will feel comfortable.

Onion boxes should be removed away from crops such as:

• apples,
• potatoes,
• beet,
• carrot.

It tolerates being close to:

• dried berries
• pumpkin,
• garlic
• herbs.

Alternative ways

Onions can be dried, pickled or pickled. This method of harvesting will save space in the apartment and save most of the nutrients in vegetables.

Dried

Onions devoid of moisture remain edible throughout the year. You can dry it in several ways:

1. Outdoors... The pieces are laid out on a board, cardboard or cotton cloth. Drying time is about 14 days.
2. In an electric dryer... Depending on the thickness of the rings, drying takes 5 to 7 hours.
3. In the oven... The baking sheet must be covered with parchment. The cabinet should not heat above 60 degrees. Drying time - from 5 hours.
4. In the airfryer... With it, vegetables can be dried in an hour.

Regardless of the drying method chosen, the onions must be peeled and chopped. Store them in glass jars or paper bags.

How to dry onions in an electric dryer, video instruction:

Salting

Traditional salting involves the use of 1 kg of onion and 200 g of salt. Some housewives add vegetable oil to the jars.

Procedure:

• peel, wash and cut onions into rings;
• sterilize jars;
• put prepared vegetables in them, sprinkle all layers with salt;
• close the jars and put them in the pantry or refrigerator for storage.

Pickling

Marinating onions for the winter is not difficult. To prepare the brine you will need:

• 1.5 liters of water;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt and 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 0.5 tsp citric acid;
• 120 ml vinegar 6%;
• add a little dill, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves for taste.

Procedure:

1. Sterilize jars, fill them with onion heads.
2. Prepare the marinade by bringing it to a boil.
3. Pour it over the banks, leave for 20 minutes.
4. Drain and boil the marinade again.
5. Pour the brine on the onions again and roll up the jars.

Onions prepared in this way will be stored for about a year.

How to pickle onions for the winter, video recipe:

Difficulties and ways to eliminate them

There are several reasons why an onion in an apartment can deteriorate:

1. Sorting vegetables... If there are different varieties in one box, then it will not be possible to avoid rot. Therefore, it is so important to carefully sort the crop immediately after harvest.
2. Damage to vegetables... They must be placed in storage carefully, avoiding injury to the heads.
3. Decay of one or more specimens... If the bulbs are not sorted at least once a month, then you can lose most of the harvest.
4. Removing the husk before storing... The scales should not be peeled off the bulbs. They protect vegetables from spoilage.
5. Germination of roots... To avoid this problem, you need to process them with lime, or burn them.
6. Rotting bulbs due to moisture... If the level of humidity in the room is high, then next to the boxes you need to put a bucket of sawdust or wood ash.

For more information about why onions rot during storage and how to avoid it, read this article.

Related Videos

How to keep onions in an apartment until spring, the video will tell you:

Conclusion

You can store onions in the apartment until the onset of heat. There are many ways to extend the shelf life of a crop. Vegetables are stored in:

• refrigerator,
• in the pantry,
• on the balcony,
• even in living rooms.

The main thing is to observe the temperature regime and the level of humidity in the room.