Storing onions

Had a question from Michelle that I thought might be helpful to others.

Hey, do you have any tips on storing onions? It looks like we are going to lose half of our onion crop because the darn things keep growing!


Hi Michelle,
I have not had any personal experience storing onions. Will be planting them next years, so figured I would research it for you. This probably provides more information than you need, but it will be helpful to me for next season to have it all in one place for reference at that time. (Providing, of course, that I have onion to store!!) LOL
I have several reference books that I have used over the years. For this question I first went to my trusty "Crockett's Victory Garden", by James Underwood Crockett, 1977 by WGBH Educational Foundation, Inc. and James Underwood Crockett. James Crockett originated the Victory Garden show back in the 70's. I was a devoted fan.
re: Onions
"I cure them after pulling, letting them dry in the sun for 2 or 3 days, and then moving them to a dry warm place for 4 to 6 weeks until the skins are completely dry and the tops withered. Then I store them in a cool, airy spot for use through the fall and winter.

As you pull your onions, you will probably observe that the stalks of some are much thicker than others. Sometimes they are called "thick-necked, or "bull-necked." These onions will not store as well as do those whose stalks shrivel away completely, so I advise using these first. If you want to store your onions in an open mesh bag, cut the stalks off about an inch or two above the bulbs when you pull them,. If you want to braid them so as to hang the bulbs in an airy place, do the braiding soon after digging because the stalks will still be relatively pliant. Above all, don't pile freshly picked onions more than two deep; without air circulation, they're apt to start new root growth in the dampness, or worse yet, to rot."

The second book I am referencing is "10,000 Garden Questions, Answered by 20 Experts," by Marjorie J. Dietz, Editor, Originally Edited by F. F. Rockwell, Fourth Edition, 1982, Doubleday and Company, Inc..

As there are several questions regarding this issue, I will just take them one by one here.
re: Winter Storage
"Onions should be kept in the dark, in a dry place at 35 - 40 degrees. But cure them in trays or boxes, under cover, but with free circulation of air, for several weeks after harvesting.

"How do I keep dry onions from sprouting in the winter months?" If onions are kept too warm in a room where the air is moist or where light enters, they will sprout. Some onions will sprout more than others because the bulbs have not been properly cured. Some varieties keep better than others. The best winter keeper is "Spartan Sleeper", which can be stored at room temperature for 6 months or more before spoiling.

"I pulled and stored my onions and found that the majority are going bad. Why?" Fungi following after maggot injury are responsible. Onions should be stored only where there is free air circulation, either in a string bag or else with the tops left on an braided into chains to hang up on the wall. The latter method is easy and very successful, and you can always cut off just the size onion you want without rummaging through a bag."