Okay sure, onions have a relatively long shelf life – however, there’s no annoyance quite like pulling one from the back of your cupboard only to discover it’s gone soft and mouldy.
Yes – THE CUPBOARD. If you’re sticking your onions in the fridge you’re doing yourself a serious disservice, as the cool temperatures ruin your onions even faster. Why? The cool temperature causes the onions to convert starch to sugar, making them go mushy faster.
But even if you’re keeping your onions in a dark cupboard, you’re almost definitely still making some storage errors.
Is your store cupboard near an oven? Ding dong, you are wrong – this’ll be wrecking any of the veg you keep in that cupboard unfortunately, as this will cause the temperature around the onions to fluctuate and potentially cause moisture.
If you’re lucky enough to have one, garages are the answer to the best place to store onions in thanks to their cool environment and lack of sunlight.
If stored properly onions can actually last for a whopping six months (yes, we were just as surprised) – and improving their shelf life can be as simple as removing them from their packaging.
Shop Food Waste explain on their website: “Never keep these items in sealed plastic as it will quickly cause spoilage.”
As plastic bags allow moisture to be trapped, mould can happen faster.
Instead, remove your onions from their packaging and keep them in a basket or paper bag where ‘air can circulate.’