If you grow your own onions, plan to store onions that you plant during the spring. Onions are ready to harvest for storage in the late summer or early fall, when the top of the plant begins to fall over and dry up.
Yellow onions such as ebenezer, yellow globe, downing yellow globe, and yellow globe danvers. White onions such as Southport white globes. These should only be stored if their necks are small. Red onions including wethersfield and Southport red globe.
Dry the onions in an area away from sunlight and humidity. Sunlight can taint the taste of the onions and make them bitter. Lay a tarp in your garage or a shed. The environment should be dry, warm and breezy. The onions are finished curing when their stems are no longer green. The onions’ skin should be withered around the stem and wrapped tightly around the onions.
Discard onions that still have green stems at this point, as well as those that are bruised or have broken paper. Cut the leaves at least an inch above the bulb, or leave them intact and braid the leaves together.
For good ventilation, hang the onions in mesh baskets, netted bags or pantyhose. If you decide to use pantyhose as a storage option, tie a knot between each bulb. Use the bulbs from the bottom, cutting the onion out below the knot so the onion above it stays secure. You can also use string or twist ties in between the onions to keep them separate.
Storing onions in this way allows them to breathe properly. Any moisture they may have already come in contact with will soon evaporate, giving your angiosperms a longer shelf life.
You can still eat onions that have started to sprout. Just chop away the green part before using them in a recipe. [7] X Research source If an onion is slimy or discolored, don’t risk eating it. Save extra bulbs to plant in the spring.