Do Onions Go Bad?

Onions are vegetables that can be found in any the kitchens of people who like to prepare many kinds of dishes because its versatility is when it’s time to cook. It can be prepared alone in the form of fried rings or accompany meats and stews, among other things.

Sometimes one can get bored following the same still, and vegetables such as onion can remain unused for some time. When you remember a couple of onions in the vegetable area of the refrigerator, you can become concerned about the possibility that they have gone bad. Maybe you do not know how long they last in good condition and if you have been storing them properly. If this is your situation, the information that you will find here can be very useful.

How to Store Onions

Onion is one of these elements that have been used in the culinary world for several decades and even centuries because it has positive health effects. The consumption of onion can help in respiratory diseases, keep heart diseases at bay, increase triglycerides in the blood, help control and prevent kidney diseases, and has anti-cancer properties.

The onion can become very beneficial for health, but this is possible only when it is in good condition, so to enjoy everything it can offer you, you must know how to store it so that it is not spoiled.

Luckily when it comes to storage, onions are similar to other foods like garlic, for example. With this in mind, it can be said that everything you need to do can be summarized as follows:

Take care of the temperature.

Onions need to be kept at a constant temperature so that they can be kept in good condition while consuming them. The important thing is to find a place that is not very close to sources of heat or direct sunlight, but it cannot be very cold either. As long as the onions remain whole, it is best if they are fresh at room temperature.

Avoid humidity

Something that makes the onions go bad is humidity, so you should be careful where you store them. They should not be near the sink. The best is a dry, dark, and cool place such as a pantry; this place should be enough to keep them for a while without spoiling.

Keep the air circulating.

Onions need air to stay cool; otherwise, they will end up drying out and not as delicious. For this reason, it is not recommended that you put them in a sealed container. On the contrary, it must be open. We also do not recommend that you put it in plastic bags. The preferable are brown paper bags with holes that allow airflow. Another thing you should avoid is piling up many together; remember, they need their space.

Once you chop the onions, you must take them and put them in an airtight container to refrigerate them. They need to be well sealed to absorb moisture or odors from other foods they may be around.

Can You Freeze Onions?

If you have had a bumper harvest or have bought more than you expected to consume for the moment and need an option to preserve them for the long term, don’t worry because you can count on freezing them to achieve that purpose, and they will still be perfectly usable when need.

It should be noted that freezing them is not a process that does not bring consequences for the onions. They lose their crunchy texture but maintain their flavor and quality. All you have to do is boil them for between three and eight minutes, depending on the size. Once boiled, you must chop them and place them in an airtight container that protects them from external humidity and bad smells, and then they will be ready to freeze.

How Long Do Onions Last

Onions, like garlic, have a relatively long shelf life, so you don’t have to worry that they’ve gone bad if it’s only been a week or two since you got them, as long as you’ve taken the necessary measures so that they remain in good condition.

The duration of an onion that has been chopped will not be the same as a whole one. However, it is still long enough to be used without problems for at least a week, so unless the number of onions that If you plan to save few bites or that you plan to freeze them (in that case, they would last six months), then you should not opt for this option very often.

If we have to talk about exact dates, then we can say that the onions, as long as they remain within the necessary parameters for optimal conservation, can last around two months.

How to Tell If Onions Is Bad

We know that onions are good for several purposes and that they can last in good condition for a long time so that you can consume them without any problem, but at some point, this will change, so you must be careful before consuming them.

When you go to get them in a store or have them stored for a while, you should look for signs that indicate they are not suitable to be consumed, if they are soft, if the onions feel damp, or if they have grown a couple of green bumps, then you should discard them. In case your onions do not show any of these signs, they will be perfectly safe to consume and use in any dish.

Sources:

Does it go bad

Eat by date

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