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I have now pulled up all my onions... last year I hung them tied with string in my garage, and most of them rotted before I ate them. Anyway, I have allowed all the onions to dry out and have cut off the dried leaves at the top and just put them in string bags this year.

But when I was on the allotment the other day I saw this bloke taking the top dry layers off the onions back to the shiny skins before he stored them. I didn't ask how he stored them because I forgot. Surely if you take the dry outer skin off they will be more inclined to rot?

How are they normally prepared for storing?

I have just made an onion soup out of a few of them and hope it is nice, will trial it tomorrow... Linda

I don't remove the papery skin, but I don't grow maincrop hunions so don't know if you should.  If they have been properly dried out in the sun the they should store fine.  Use the iffy ones, if there are any, first.  Mine rot if stored for any length of time thanks to the white rot that my plot is infected with.

You remove the outer skin to try and prevent any diease from spreading inwards

If you just 'scuffle' the skins, any loose papery skin will come off in your hands, and they will look tidier too :)

Think these are more likely reasons for rot though -

Is the garage warm and/or moist? Hunions need cool and dry, with good air circulation - try another place? Mine are hung on the landing, to be admired by visitors ;)

If you allow any rotten onions in your string, they might have spread it (like a bad apple).

Good luck :D

Before they are stored, it is important to make sure that they are sufficiently dried on the outside, as when they are stored, they are unlikely to get the airflow necessary to remove any remaining damp, which will rapidly lead to spoilage. The peeling that is referred to, I have often taken more as a sense of pride and tidiness, what happens here is that the outer layers again dry out, but they are clean and undamaged.

My summer onions are still on pallets drying in the open air, in fact some are not yet lifted. I seems a little early to me to be putting onions into store...

Mine are drying out in the poly... near the door and are nearly crispy enough to string... we use old tights/stockings, remember to knot between each to stop rot spreading and allow you to cut them off one at a time!
;D

I know this is a 'how long is a piece of string' question but how do you know they are dry enough?  I lifted mine a few days ago and they are laying out on our garden bench, unfortunately though after a couple of days of warm sun last night it poured so they have got all wet again!  Should I dry them elsewhere - although not sure where?!

Quote from: saddad on August 09, 2006, 09:11:30
we use old tights/stockings, remember to knot between each to stop rot spreading and allow you to cut them off one at a time!

LOL what is it with men and stockings, my dad used to filch my mum's stockings to strain paint through ???

Ahem, back to topic - when there's no green at all on the long stems is my 'rule of thumb' for storing. I put mine in the greenhouse in veg trays, away from the leaky bits, and took them outside whilst I was working on the plot for a bit of fresh air ;)

I've got a wire basket (i'e a Safebury's one  ;) ) for storing shallots and onions that i cant be bothered to string up. I hang it up in the garage, lets the air get to them.

Remember, Japanese varieties dont store well.

My shallots and garlic have been out of the ground for a while (2/3 weeks) and sitting in our mini-greenhouse sunning themselves, however, their stems are still soft/moist in places (near the bulb) although they are all brown and papery (and no green anywhere) at the top.. are they ready to store or am I just being impatient???
This will apply to my onions when they eventually make it out of the ground!

Plait them or tie them in bunches, hang them up somewhere dry, and leave them be till you want to eat them.

My first attempt at stringing onions, necessary because with a crop of over 400, I need anywhere I can think of to store them. First effort on the left, then by the second I had the hang of it  :)

They look great C! SS I don't have anywhere cool and dry!! Help! It's either warm and dry, warm and moist or cool and moist...  :'( :'(

Excellent curry, they look fab!
ooer anne, then I'd go for dry over moist - the drier the better - and compromise on the cool ;D ;D

Thanks laydees :), just hope I don''t damage the roof beams by adding to the payload ! Those onions are heavy ...

They're real beauts!

Mine have been drying in the garden: I went shopping, it poured and now they're all soaking.... :'( :'( :'( Can't win!!