Curing and Storing Onions

Each year I plant red onions from sets. They are reasonably priced at $3.95 for a net bag of 80 3/4-inch bulbs. Because they are usually available only in the spring, I purchase two extra bags to store in my refrigerator for mid-summer replanting. Some dry out, but most last long enough in the vegetable crisper drawer for a second crop.

I plant my onion sets in March. I place them along the borders of my beds where they are easy to reach. I place them about one inch apart. When they are about six inches high, I start thinning the rows and use the green onions in salads. The remaining onions then have room to mature into bulbs. By the end of July, the onion bulbs are ready to harvest. I plant more sets, but do not use the same area. Crop rotation helps the soil as well as reduces the effects of pests like onion maggots.

The onions are ready to harvest once their tops fall over. Some onions will form flower stalks. I cut them as soon as they appear. If the flower stalks are allowed to progress, they cause the onions to be poor keepers after curing.

To cure the onions, I tied them in small bunches by their tops. I first hung them outdoors under the eves in a shaded, dry, warm location until the outer skins dried. I then moved the bunches indoors for safe keeping. When I need an onion, I just cut one from the bunch, pretty handy. Do you grow your own onions? Do you have any tips to share? -- Margy