How to grow onions - storing onions

How to store onions

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Saturday, 4 April 2020 at 10:41 am

We show you how to store your home-grown onions, in our step-by-step guide.

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Stringing onions is a great way of storing gluts, as you can keep a large number of bulbs in a small space. Hang them in a cool, dry, frost-free place – such as a shed – until you need to bring them into the kitchen. If you have room, grow more onions than you need and string them up to see you through winter.

Leave your onions to dry out thoroughly before you string them, by laying them out and leaving them in the sun for a few days. If it's raining, lay them on trays in a warm, dry place, such as a shed or conservatory. Choose the best quality bulbs to store – any that are damp and moist should be eaten straight away as they won't store well and will be prone to mould and mildew.

Discover delicious ways to cook your onion harvest such as these caramelised onions from BBC Good Food.

You Will Need

Onions
Garden twine

Total time: 1 hour

Step 1

How to store onions - making a noose

Knot one end of the cord back onto itself to make a sliding noose. Then tie the other end onto a strong hook or wooden beam.

Step 2

How to store onions - tying in the onions

Wind the tops of three or four onions through the noose to create a 'pendulum' at the bottom of the cord.

Step 3

How to store onions - adding onions to the top

Wrap the tops of each of the remaining onions around the cord, then slide them down onto the pendulum. As the onions stack up, their weight tightens the noose at the bottom and pinches the onions in place.

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