After harvesting the onion, it is important to preserve it for as long as possible, without losing quality. For this, the raw materials must be properly prepared. You can store onions in different ways - about them later in the article.
Preparation for long-term storage
An important condition for the long-term preservation of onions is harvesting in due time - it must ripen, but not sit in the ground. Unripe fruits are stored less and are more susceptible to disease, while overripe fruits tend to germinate.
Work should be planned for dry weather. The harvested crop requires some preparation:
- Peeling Onions from the Ground... You do not need to rub it too much, everything unnecessary can be removed after drying.
- Drying... This stage should last 2 weeks. If the weather is sunny, it is recommended to spread the crop right on the beds - the process will go much faster. On cloudy or rainy days, onions can be dried in any dry room with good ventilation. The scales and roots should dry completely.
During drying, the raw material must be periodically turned over. This is not required when using armor mesh. Another option is an electric oven. The temperature must be set to a minimum, preventing the onion from drying out. It is better to dry it with the door open so that excess moisture evaporates faster. - Final cleansing... Residual soil, cracked flakes should be removed.
- Pruning... The specifics of this stage depend on the way in which the crop will be stored. The roots must be completely cut off in any situation, without touching the bottom. Feathers are usually trimmed completely, leaving only a 5 cm tail. They should be longer for storage in braided braids.
- Culling... Such work should overlap with other preparatory stages. Only strong bulbs are suitable for storage without mechanical damage and signs of disease or damage by pests. Instances that do not meet these requirements should be left for food or discarded. When pruning, you need to set aside onions with green necks - they will not be stored for a long time.
- Sorting... This stage is also usually combined with one of the previous ones. The crop should be sorted by size into 3 groups.
Burning the roots will help reduce the risk of onion sprouting. It will be unsuitable for planting, so you should immediately postpone the planting material separately. Another option is the processing of slices with a paste of lime. Such a bow can also not be taken for landing.
Storage conditions for onions
In order to prolong the safety of the harvested onion, certain conditions must be ensured. These include temperature and humidity in the room - both indicators are interrelated.
There are 3 options for storing vegetables:
- Cold way at a temperature of -3-0 degrees. This is the best variant. In such conditions, the crop is stored as long as possible.
- Warm way at a temperature of 18-22 degrees. Humidity in this case should be 60-70%.
- Combined method... First, the crop is stored at a temperature of 18-22 degrees, and when steady colds occur, they are cooled and transferred to the cold method. In the spring and during the thaw, they return to the warm method again.
For cold storage, do not leave the onions warm for long. It is worth taking it for food in small quantities.
When choosing the appropriate temperature regime, the variety of onions must be taken into account. With an increase in its severity, the recommended storage temperature decreases.
The storage area for onions should be dry and well ventilated. Ventilation can be natural or forced. In the second case, it is important to monitor the health of its work. There should not be any heat sources nearby.
It is important to store onions in the correct container. It must be breathable. The height of the boxes, crates or baskets should be up to 30 cm. This is the condition for other containers - the onion layer should also not exceed 30 cm. It is worth giving preference to small containers so that less damage occurs in case of spoilage.
When storing onions, it is also important to observe the following conditions:
- periodic inspection of raw materials with the rejection of spoiled copies - 2-3 such checks are enough for the entire period;
- the exclusion of storing onions together with crops that require a higher humidity in the room;
- when stored in boxes and other containers, they must not be tightly closed - this increases the level of humidity and provokes rotting;
- exclusion of strong and frequent temperature drops in the room.
Sharp and early ripening onions are better stored. In lettuce and semi-sharp varieties, keeping quality is average.
Methods for storing onions in basements and cellars
Storage of onions in a basement or cellar is attractive at lower temperatures, as well as a large space. You can store crops in the following ways:
- Racks, shelves... Before unfolding onions, the surface should be covered. You can use paper, burlap, straw. Polyethylene is excluded. If possible, put the onion in one layer.
- Wooden crates, paper boxes... Mandatory perforation of such containers. It should be placed on shelves or arranged with stands. Do not allow containers for storing onions in contact not only with the floor, but also with the walls of the room.
It should also be remembered about the optimal thickness of the layer of raw materials - if it is too large, then the bulbs below will rot. They will begin to rot and spoil the rest of the specimens in this container. - Linen bags... It is optimal to store in one bag up to 5-10 kg of onions.
- Nylon stockings... Effective grandma's way. It’s not worth stuffing stockings too much, otherwise they may tear during storage and all contents will be on the floor. During a fall, it can be damaged, and before detection it can also deteriorate. Stockings filled with onions must be hung indoors so that they do not come into contact with anything.
- Egg containers... This method is suitable for those who have a lot of this container, and the bulbs are small. You need to put them in containers and place on shelves. You can install containers on top of each other. Better to use cardboard containers.
It is useful to use lime in the cellar or basement. You can treat it with the walls and floor of the room or place it in containers and arrange it in the corners or along the walls. Lime absorbs moisture well.
For better preservation of the harvest, it is effective to use crushed chalk. Enough 0.2 kg of powder per 10 kg of onions. It is necessary to process each onion evenly on all sides, but not to make a too thick layer. Chalk during storage will absorb excess moisture, prevent a number of diseases.
You can also use ash or wood chips to absorb excess moisture. If the room is too dry, then it is useful to leave the husk from it and sprinkle the remaining raw materials with it when taking part of the crop.
Ways to store onions at home
Not everyone has basements and cellars, so the issue of storing onions in an apartment is relevant. It is also convenient to store so part of the crop for food, if the main storage location is removed from the house.
Braid weaving
One of the popular ways is braiding. It should be planned in advance, since it is necessary to leave the tails at 12 cm. You need to act according to the following algorithm:
- Sorting raw materials by size... This makes the braids tighter and smoother.
- Preparing a strong and long enough rope - its length will correspond to the length of the braid. One end is more convenient to immediately tie in the storage location.
- Weaving... At the lower end of the rope, fasten 2-3 onions by the tails, you can make a loop for this in advance. Then take 2 onions, twist the tails with each other, place them on top of the already suspended onions and twist 1-2 times more. You can take one onion, twice wrapping its tail around the rope.
The finished braids can be hung in the closet, pantry or kitchen. If we carefully weave them using bulbs of the same size, they will perfectly complement the interior.
Onion storage containers
At home, onions can be stored in the following container:
- wooden boxes;
- perforated cardboard boxes;
- wicker baskets;
- fabric bags;
- nylon stockings;
- special vegetable nets made of polypropylene.
Storage on the balcony
In an apartment, onions can be stored on the balcony if it is closed. If the balcony is cold, then it is allowed to store the crop on it up to a temperature of -6 degrees. In this case, it is worth considering the night temperature.
If the balcony is warm, then you can store onions on it all winter. To do this, you can use a suitable container or hang it in stockings or braids. It should be remembered that the temperature difference for onions is undesirable. In such conditions, the risk of spoilage and germination increases.
Fridge and freezer storage
One of the places to store onions in the apartment is a refrigerator. In it, the product can lie for up to a month.
One of the options for storing onions in an apartment is freezing. Raw materials need to be cleaned, chopped and frozen. It is better to spread the onion in small portions at once in small containers or tight bags. You can make various vegetable mixtures.
At a temperature of -18 degrees, frozen onions can be stored for up to six months. If the temperature in the freezer is about -8 degrees, then the shelf life is halved.
Other places to store onions
Placed in any container of your choice, onions can also be stored in the pantry, on the mezzanine or in the closet. Drawers and boxes can be placed under a bed or closet if there is no battery or other heat source nearby. Treat raw materials efficiently with crushed chalk.
Onion preservation
To store onions at home, they also resort to conservation. It is best suited for pickling - such a blank has a special taste, you can add it to salads and snacks.
You can preserve onions separately, and with other vegetables - tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers. Red onions are well prepared in a balsamic bite - small onions do not even need to be chopped.
Drying onions
Drying is a good way to harvest. In this case, it is enough to add the preparation at the end of cooking, it will give the dish both taste and aroma.
Dry should be chopped onion rings. Enough 3 hours at a temperature of 60 degrees. Store dried onions in a tightly closed container. You can keep it alone or mix it with other dried vegetables and herbs.
Possible causes of onion spoilage during storage, preventive measures
Damage to onions during storage usually implies its decay. The reasons may be different:
- disease - more often it is a fungal or bacterial infection, the symptoms of which appear precisely during storage;
- high humidity in the room;
- improper packaging - tightly closed containers, the use of polyethylene;
- the abuse of nitrogen-containing fertilizers - this brings the harvesting time closer, but affects the duration of its storage adversely.
The following measures will help to avoid damage to the crop during storage:
- processing of planting material in the spring - it is optimal to use a solution of potassium permanganate;
- moderate use of fertilizers, correct potash dressing - they increase the keeping quality of the crop;
- accuracy in harvesting - infection often occurs due to mechanical damage;
- careful rejection and elimination of damaged copies;
- complete drying of the crop;
- preparation of the premises for storing the crop - its complete drying, disinfection;
- providing good ventilation;
- maintaining the recommended temperature and humidity levels;
- the use of breathable containers for storage;
- periodic inspection of the stored crop with the rejection of damaged specimens.
Compliance with all the rules for storing onions will allow you to keep it in good condition for a long time. This can be done both in an apartment and in the presence of a basement or cellar. It is especially important to preserve the crop if part of it is intended for planting next year.