Onion is a very moody vegetable.
Growing it is not easy.
It is even more offensive if part of the crop disappears due to improper storage. That is why it is very important to know how to store onions in the winter.
With proper laying, the bulbs will remain edible for 7-8 months.
How to prepare onions for wintering
Incorrectly harvested and unprepared for wintering onions can die even under optimal storage conditions. Harvesting begins depending on the variety, as a rule, already in the beginning or middle of August. Bulbs are carefully dug out of the ground, being careful not to damage the tight-fitting flakes and thin skin. Knocking onions to shake off the ground is impossible, otherwise the bulbs will rot.
Fully ripe onions, suitable for laying, has a dry, thin neck. A thick, too wet stem with excess moisture is likely to spoil the entire bookmark.
Harvesting onion crops should be scheduled on a dry sunny day. Dug bulbs must be dried by spreading the stems on a bed or field in one layer. The roots are cut to the bottom, the feathers are cut at a distance of 2 centimeters from the bulb. Dry the onions for a fairly long time, at least five days, periodically turning the vegetables over. If there is a shell mesh and the bow is spread on it, then you do not need to turn it over.
After the bulbs dry out, they must be carefully sorted out, discarded spoiled. Separately selected specimens that need to be eaten first of all (with thick necks and injuries).
Drying onions is possible under a canopy in the country, in the canopy or in the city kitchen, if there are no other conditions. Harvest should be scattered on the newspaper, placing next to the battery. A small crop can be dried in the oven by setting the temperature to 50 degrees and leaving the door open.
Ideal conditions for storing onions
Asleep bulbs are very sensitive to environmental conditions. To preserve the crop, it is necessary to provide the vegetable with ideal storage conditions. It is very important to avoid temperature fluctuations, otherwise the bulbs will rot or sprout.
In winter, you need to send a fully ripened, golden-colored dense onion with well-formed and easily detachable scales. There should be no damage to the bulb. Well, if it will be a late grade.
Bulb storage temperature - from 0 to 20 degrees Celsius. Humidity should be average, between 50 and 65 percent. With a higher moisture content in the air, the onion will sprout or rot. Humidity can be reduced with boxes filled with lime, shavings or ash. You can sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining dry husk.
A prerequisite for the safe storage of onions is effective ventilation. It can be natural or forced, the main thing is that the air flow is provided.
How to store onions in an apartment or private house
Storage of onions at home is diverse. You can place the vegetable for the winter in a room or on a warm covered balcony, laying the crop in breathable containers: wicker baskets, wooden boxes, breathing bags. A popular way is to plant bulbs in nylon tights.
How to store onions at home? Vegetables can be perfectly stored in wooden, plastic or cardboard boxes, but their height should not exceed 30 centimeters. In addition, ventilation holes are required. Bags also should not be too big. The container can be marked right under the bed, put in the pantry or on the loggia.
There are other ways to preserve onions. For example, drying. How to store onions at home in this unusual way? From the vegetable you need to clean the scales, cut into thick rings, disassemble into separate rings and put on a sieve. Dry at 50-60 degrees in the oven for 3-4 hours. Store dried onions in a glass or tin, tightly closed jar.
Salted, as a rule, spoiled and small onions. They are cleaned, washed, placed in pickling containers and peppercorns and bay leaves poured to taste. Then prepare a 10 percent brine, pour onions and establish oppression. Onions are salted for a week, then the cans are laid out and stored in the refrigerator or cellar.
How to store onions in the cellar
The best way to store onion crops in the cellar is to weave braids or wreaths. It is necessary that the feathers remain long enough and easily intertwined. Woven braids of onions should be hung from the ceiling on the crossbar.
It is convenient to create cobs from onion stems. How to store onions in winter using this method? First, cut the stems, leaving stumps about 3 centimeters in size. If the bulb is large, the length of the tail should be longer. Several bulbs are gathered together and tightly tied with hemp twine. Capture the following stems and build up the “ear” to the desired length.
Old nylon stockings or tights, jute bags, boxes with ventilation holes, baskets - all this can also be a great option for winter storage of onion crops. If the vegetable is dry, healthy, it will lie until spring.
How to store onions: useful tips
Fully suitable, ripened and completely dried bulbs have a dense, rusty scale that protects them from drying out and deterioration.
If the bulb is scratched, it can be torn off to a whole scale and dried well. The top layer will turn into a strong healthy scale.
Onions should not be stored in plastic bags that do not allow air to pass through. In them, the crop will rot and perish.
About once a month, the onion bookmark needs to be sorted out, discarded rotten specimens.
