Home
How to Store Onions, Garlic, & Shallots
For years I've stored onions, garlic and shallots in plastic bins in a kitchen drawer. Like this:
That works fine if I use everything up right away, but honestly that doesn't happen very often. Instead, I stock up on onions, garlic or shallots for use in specific recipes, and some of them end up hanging around in the drawer for awhile. Here's how some of them look after 2 or 3 months; rotten, moldy, or sprouting.....wasted:
A few months ago, my mom (aka Grammy) came to the rescue. Last time I was visiting her, she showed me how she'd started storing her onions, garlic, and shallots. She raved about how putting them in a regular ol' paper bag that's been punched with holes can extend their life for months. Honestly? I was skeptical. But, my mom had never been wrong before, so I decided to give it a try. The results? Here's how my punched paper bag of onions looked after 3 months--as firm and fresh as when I bought them:
I've tried this with garlic and shallots, too, with the same great results.
Lesson learned: always listen to your mother. Apparently, the punched paper bags allow just enough air circulation to preserve these veggies for an extended period of time. Who knew?
Here's how Grammy showed me to store my onions, garlic, and shallots. I'm a believer. It really works!
step-by-step photos for
How to store onions, garlic and shallots
Step 1. Gather the supplies:
view on Amazon: brown lunch bags , hole punch
Step 2. Punch the bags. This is how Grammy showed me to do it (and remember that she is never wrong). Fold the bag in half lengthwise, punch along one edge; you'll be punching thorough multiple layers. Flip the folded bag over and punch along the other edge; approximately 1" between punches (but it doesn't have to be perfect). The result is multiple rows of holes.
Step 3. Fill the bag up to half full, fold over the top, label it (if you'll have more than one bag), and paper clip it to hold the top down.
How easy is that? I use more yellow onions than anything else and buy them in bigger quantities; so I have more than one punched bag to hold them all. The bags can be reused again and again until they wear out.
I store my bags in the same drawer in the kitchen as before. It's important not to crowd them. Air needs to circulate around the bags--that's the whole point of punching the holes. I use the same plastic bins as before; they help keep the bags upright and orderly and are roomy enough for air circulation between the bags. The bins can also be placed on pantry or cabinet shelves.
view on Amazon: my plastic bins
This punched paper bag method should extend the life of onions, garlic, and shallots in most situations. However, their specific life may vary depending on the temperature, humidity, and light conditions where the bags are stored.
Additional tips:
Also in my onion drawer:
view on Amazon: easy garlic peeler
If you have problems with rotting onions, garlic or shallots, I encourage you to give this easy technique a try. Waste not, want not. (I'm pretty sure Grammy says that, too.)
Make it a Yummy day!
Monica
How to Store Onions, Garlic & Shallots
By Monica
Ingredients
Directions
Fold flattened paper bag lengthwise and punch holes along one long edge, approx. 1" apart, punching through multiple layers at one time. Flip bag over and punch along opposite side. Open bag, insert onions, garlic or shallots; fill the bag up to half full. Fold top of bag over 2-3 times, label the top with a marker, and use a paper clip to hold the top in place. Store filled bags in cool, dark place, so that air can circulate between the bags.
This punched paper bag method should extend the life of onions, garlic, and shallots in most situations. However, their specific life may vary depending on the temperature, humidity, and light conditions where the bags are stored.
TEMPERATURE: These will last the longest in a dark, cool (but not cold), dry storage area. I've successfully kept them in my 65-70ish degree kitchen drawer for up to 3 months. A cool, dark basement is a good choice, if you happen to have one. Onions should not be stored for an extended time in the refrigerator because the cold temperature will soften their texture; plus, onions will impart their flavor on surrounding produce.
NO POTATOES NEARBY: Potatoes and onions should not be stored together. They give off gases that will accelerate spoilage of each other.
an easy way to keep them fresh for months
www.theyummylife.com%2Fstore_onions_garlic_shallots" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">  157k+ |  11k+ | By Monica Matheny |
For years I've stored onions, garlic and shallots in plastic bins in a kitchen drawer. Like this:
That works fine if I use everything up right away, but honestly that doesn't happen very often. Instead, I stock up on onions, garlic or shallots for use in specific recipes, and some of them end up hanging around in the drawer for awhile. Here's how some of them look after 2 or 3 months; rotten, moldy, or sprouting.....wasted:
A few months ago, my mom (aka Grammy) came to the rescue. Last time I was visiting her, she showed me how she'd started storing her onions, garlic, and shallots. She raved about how putting them in a regular ol' paper bag that's been punched with holes can extend their life for months. Honestly? I was skeptical. But, my mom had never been wrong before, so I decided to give it a try. The results? Here's how my punched paper bag of onions looked after 3 months--as firm and fresh as when I bought them:
I've tried this with garlic and shallots, too, with the same great results.
Lesson learned: always listen to your mother. Apparently, the punched paper bags allow just enough air circulation to preserve these veggies for an extended period of time. Who knew?
Here's how Grammy showed me to store my onions, garlic, and shallots. I'm a believer. It really works!
step-by-step photos for
How to store onions, garlic and shallots
Step 1. Gather the supplies:
- onions, garlic, and/or shallots--make sure they are firm and blemish free. If you buy in bulk and find any with rotten spots or a soft texture, cut off the bad part and use right away; or toss it so it doesn't contaminate the others.
- brown paper bags--I used the lunch bag size, because they're easy to fold and punch. Also, bigger bags hold a higher volume and density of onions, and that reduces the amount of air circulation around them and accelerates spoilage. Smaller quantities of onions in lunch size bags are ideal.
- a hole punch--you can buy one of these anywhere that sells office or craft supplies.
- marker--for labeling
- paper clips--for holding the bag closed
view on Amazon: brown lunch bags , hole punch
Step 2. Punch the bags. This is how Grammy showed me to do it (and remember that she is never wrong). Fold the bag in half lengthwise, punch along one edge; you'll be punching thorough multiple layers. Flip the folded bag over and punch along the other edge; approximately 1" between punches (but it doesn't have to be perfect). The result is multiple rows of holes.
Step 3. Fill the bag up to half full, fold over the top, label it (if you'll have more than one bag), and paper clip it to hold the top down.
How easy is that? I use more yellow onions than anything else and buy them in bigger quantities; so I have more than one punched bag to hold them all. The bags can be reused again and again until they wear out.
I store my bags in the same drawer in the kitchen as before. It's important not to crowd them. Air needs to circulate around the bags--that's the whole point of punching the holes. I use the same plastic bins as before; they help keep the bags upright and orderly and are roomy enough for air circulation between the bags. The bins can also be placed on pantry or cabinet shelves.
view on Amazon: my plastic bins
This punched paper bag method should extend the life of onions, garlic, and shallots in most situations. However, their specific life may vary depending on the temperature, humidity, and light conditions where the bags are stored.
Additional tips:
- Temperature: These will last the longest in a dark, cool (but not cold), dry storage area. I've successfully kept them in my 65-70ish degree kitchen drawer for up to 3 months. A cool, dark basement is a good choice, if you happen to have one. Onions should not be stored for an extended time in the refrigerator because the cold temperature will soften their texture; plus, onions will impart their flavor on surrounding produce.
- No plastic bags: Don't ever store onions in plastic bags. That will accelerate sprouting and spoilage because of the lack of air circulation.
- No potatoes nearby: Potatoes and onions should not be stored together. They give off gases that will accelerate spoilage of each other.
Also in my onion drawer:
- I keep extra punched bags in the drawer, so they're read to fill when I get home from grocery shopping.
- I store my garlic press and peeler with my garlic, so they're handy when I grab the garlic.
view on Amazon: easy garlic peeler
If you have problems with rotting onions, garlic or shallots, I encourage you to give this easy technique a try. Waste not, want not. (I'm pretty sure Grammy says that, too.)
Make it a Yummy day!
Monica
How to Store Onions, Garlic & Shallots
By Monica
Ingredients
- onions, garlic, and/or shallots--make sure they are firm and blemish free. If you buy in bulk and find one that has rotten spots or a soft texture, cut off the bad part and use it right away; or toss it so it doesn't contaminate the others.
- brown paper lunch bags
- hole punch
- marker
- paper clips
Directions
Fold flattened paper bag lengthwise and punch holes along one long edge, approx. 1" apart, punching through multiple layers at one time. Flip bag over and punch along opposite side. Open bag, insert onions, garlic or shallots; fill the bag up to half full. Fold top of bag over 2-3 times, label the top with a marker, and use a paper clip to hold the top in place. Store filled bags in cool, dark place, so that air can circulate between the bags.
This punched paper bag method should extend the life of onions, garlic, and shallots in most situations. However, their specific life may vary depending on the temperature, humidity, and light conditions where the bags are stored.
TEMPERATURE: These will last the longest in a dark, cool (but not cold), dry storage area. I've successfully kept them in my 65-70ish degree kitchen drawer for up to 3 months. A cool, dark basement is a good choice, if you happen to have one. Onions should not be stored for an extended time in the refrigerator because the cold temperature will soften their texture; plus, onions will impart their flavor on surrounding produce.
[size=12]NO PLASTIC BAGS: Don't ever store onions in plastic bags. That will accelerate sprouting and spoilage because of the lack of air circulation. [/size]
NO POTATOES NEARBY: Potatoes and onions should not be stored together. They give off gases that will accelerate spoilage of each other.
» Maliki's coalition calls to dissolve the powerless Iraqi parliament
» Al-Kadhimi under pressure not to open corruption files
» Parliamentary Finance announces the agreement to reduce the salaries of the higher
» This is what Trump told Al-Kazemi about early elections in Iraq
» Political analyst: The time is right to hit the corrupt and recover the money smuggled out
» Al-Abadi: We will face a problem with paying salaries next month, and printing currency is one of th
» An economist is surprised to continue wasting huge amounts of money through the currency auction, an
» report: the government is considering reducing the value of the dinar against foreign currencies
» KTFA, Currency 365 and more Monday Afternoon 5-18-2020
» Parliamentary confirms the decision of the selection of 6 candidates for the ministerial booth excep
» Economist: Four laws were suspended by the governments, and if they came back, the Iraqi economy wou
» Planning plans to implement the customs tariff law, activate taxes and include them in the 2020 budg
» Al-Kadhimi’s government comments on UN report over demonstrations
» Hashd al-Sha’abi ready to respond to any possible US attack: Commander
» Why Iraqis fret over risk of Trump losing election
» Iraq faces new political crisis
» Iraq's treasury almost empty: Prime Minister
» Earn Free Money Online
» ran-backed leaders in Iraq call for terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia: Statements
» Iraq parliament: ‘Healthcare system may collapse in 10 days’
» Keep Your Enemies Closer: Iran and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue
» Iraqi lawmaker calls for posters of Iran’s Ali Khamenei hung in Baghdad to be removed
» Iraqi protests resume as new government builds support for reform
» What Message is Iraq’s New Prime Minister Sending to the Public?
» Iraqi protesters tear down Iranian 'Quds Day' posters - report
» Iran is retreating from the Iraqi political scene
» Iraq’s new PM pledges to crush pro-Iran militias, so why is Tehran silent?
» Iraq military: Rocket lands near US Embassy in Baghdad Green Zone
» Al-Halbousi might follow Abdul-Mahdi and get dismissed from post
» Iran’s principled policy is expanding ties with Iraq: Rouhani
» Iran’s concerns escalate over developments in Iraq
» Will Iraq's new government keep any of its promises?
» Al-Kadhimi faces four urgent challenges
» Khamenei reiterates call for US expulsion from Iraq, Syria
» Protesters storm MBC Iraq office and destroy its contents
» Tensions Rise As New Iraqi PM Confronts Iran’s Proxies – OpEd
» Khashan: The prime minister does not have the vision to pull Iraq out of its crisis
» Deputy for Al-Fateh: The presence of American forces in Iraq prevents the independence of decisions
» Get out of the way.
» For a month ... Kuwait and Saudi Arabia agree to stop production in the joint Khafji field
» Demands for urgent intervention to stop the arrests of Asayish teachers demonstrators
» The Baghdad and Erbil negotiations are back to square one: subsequent discussions complete the prece
» Parliamentary Finance: The fiscal deficit cannot be predicted and the 2020 budget will be austerity
» Master Card and receive their monthly salaries on it
» Frank, MilitiaMan and KTFA Members Friday PM "China Syndrome" 5-15-2020
» Iranian Military Pledges to Give Helping Hand in Fighting Locust Invasion
» Parliament supports Al-Kadhimi to shrink the Iraqi state
» You will only find it in Iraq .. a hard currency that is wasted through the auction at a difficult t
» Parliamentary: Failure to hold parliament sessions has major negative impacts
» Low exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar
» Saudi Arabia is losing its share in the Chinese oil market to Iraq and Russia
» the work holds an electronic meeting with 50 countries to discuss the migration of foreign workers
» al-quddo calls on the prime minister to redeploy the crowd in the soft security areas
» Parliamentary security reveals an "important decision" related to the security of three governorates
» The Parliamentary Crisis Cell reveals the contents of its letter to Al-Kazemi regarding Corona
» Documents: 130 deputies demanding that Halbousi resume the parliament sessions
» Basra deputy: 50 candidates compete for the oil portfolio ... competition will be limited to three
» Hamdoun: Addressing the financial and economic collapse in Iraq is linked to "intentions to reform"
» Al-Kadhimi storms the deep walls of the state
» Iraq PM’s Corruption Fight Reaches Parliament
» Others call on the government to expedite the provision of all supplies necessary to detect corona a
» Oil prices touch their highest levels in a month
» Al-Rafidain invites some departments to activate the Master Card and receive their salaries electron
» Oil develops treatments for foreign companies
» Iranian official reveals the reason for the delay in reopening a border post with Iraq
» An American company on the verge of bankruptcy awards millions of dollars to its top employees
» Al-Ziyadi for Mirbeed: The number of applicants to fill the Ministry of Oil portfolio reached 50 can
» Corona ... What is the truth about a dangerous strain entering Iraq via returnees from Europe?
» Sadeqoun calls on the Media and Communications Commission to sue MBC and close its offices
» Faihan: There are American threats to target Khazali and crowd political and leadership figures
» Parliamentary Finance: The salaries and benefits of retirees and employees will not be affected
» Deputy: The new electoral law is “obstructed” and whoever legislates it does not agree with its mech
» Parliamentary committee identifies options for financial distress
» Sharp differences between the representatives of Basra over three candidates for the oil bag
» Kurdistan Union: Our dispute with Masroor Barzani has reached great stages
» She emphasized salaries, corona, and Iraqi sovereignty ... Al-Kazemi’s speech to the Security Counci
» Parliament calls to send the budget and complete the election law
» The National Congress reveals the real economic problem that Iraq suffers from
» British report: Al-Kazemi has a proven track record of working with US intelligence ... and failed a
» Najaf launches a project to develop desert lands and transfer them to agriculture
» She emphasized salaries, corona, and Iraqi sovereignty ... Al-Kazemi’s speech to the Security Counci
» Newspaper: Al-Kazemi intends to replace most of the heads of the 25 independent bodies
» International Alliance: No need for our forces to be in Iraq
» Parliamentary: Immediate directives must be issued to prevent those involved in the scandal of the B
» The appearance of Mohamed Saleh to / Nina:: internal or external borrowing begins immediately after
» The Minister of Labor announces the launching date of the emergency grant to confront Corona
» Mnuchin: America will slowly reopen the economy
» The dollar appreciates as the US Federal Reserve rejects interest rates below zero
» Minister of Health: Increased dialysis to 5,000 and cases of infections started to increase
» America formally accuses China of trying to steal research on the corona vaccine
» A government bank explains the mechanism for the employee to obtain the advance of the 25 million di
» A deputy for Al-Fateh clarifies the agreement mechanism for selecting cabinet cabinet candidates
» Deputy: Al-Kazemi’s decisions are formal and his contact with his brother is like a “play”
» Trump for the Chinese: 100 commercial deals will not compensate for the loss of Corona's lives becau
» Al-Kiddo: Al-Kazemi's booth must be completed to resolve the outstanding issues
» Parliamentary agriculture holds the government responsible for protecting the strategic product
» Association of Private Banks: Private banks funded 5,360 small and medium-sized projects
» The Central Bank signs a 'arrangements document' with the World Bank