How to Store Green Onions

Green onions, when properly stored, retain their freshness for a long time: at a temperature of 3-4 degrees, it is usable for 2-3 weeks, and at zero temperature — up to 2 months.

We have prepared a number of recommendations, following which, you will keep green onions fresh and tasty for a long time.

Preparing for storage

Washing green onions before storage is not worth it, since the shelf life of dry greens is longer. If there are pieces of dirt in the greens, shake it off or remove it with a napkin. Wrap small onions with a damp cloth and tighten with a thread to increase the shelf life of the product.

But if you wish, you can wash the onion — for this:

1. Fill a basin with cool water;

2. Put the onion in a container and rinse it;

3. Shake the greens, place it on the fabric in a thin layer;

4. Wait until it dries. Moisture should evaporate naturally. Usually 30 minutes is enough for this.

It is undesirable to wash onions under running water.

Short term storage methods

Fresh greens begin to wither within 1-2 days after purchase in the store. To extend this period, follow these steps:

1. Take a tall jar with a volume of 0.5 liters and fill it with water by 2.5-5 cm;

2. Place the onion in water so that it covers its roots;

3. Cover the jar with a plastic bag and secure it with an elastic band, thread — loosely, so that air enters;

4. Place the jar in the refrigerator or on a windowsill, in direct sunlight.

When storing onions in a windowsill, the greens will continue to grow. Water must be changed every 2-3 days.

Long term storage methods

There are three options for storing green onions — a glass jar, a plastic bag, and kraft paper.

Glass jar

It is enough to shift the onion into a jar and close it tightly with a lid. Thanks to this, the onion will remain crisp and fresh, and will not dry out. The jar must be large so that the feathers of the plant fit completely in the container. If the onion bends and breaks, it will quickly dry out and become tasteless.

The shelf life of the onion will be 1 month.

Plastic bag

Pierce the bag several times with a knife to create air holes. Place the onion in a bag and refrigerate.

Attention! When storing onions in a bag, do not wash the greens.

If condensation begins to accumulate in the bag during storage, remove the greens, dry the bag, cool it in the refrigerator and then put the greens back into the bag.

kraft paper

Kraft paper will keep onions fresh for a long time. You can also use a thick paper towel instead. Newspaper sheets are prohibited, as printing ink is hazardous to health.

It is necessary to wash the onion, blot it with a napkin to remove moisture, and wrap the plant in kraft paper. Sprinkle a little water on its surface. Next, the paper is sent to a plastic bag and — in the refrigerator.

How to prepare onions for the winter

Winter blanks are stored in the freezer. Thanks to them, you do not have to overpay for onions in stores. You can pickle the onion, dry it, pickle it or freeze it.

Ice molds

Procedure:

1. Finely chop the green onion;

2. Spread the resulting mass into molds for a maximum of a third of the volume of the container;

3. Fill the remaining volume with water and place in the freezer.

And if you use olive oil instead of water, you get a ready-made dressing for various salads.

There are other options for freezing green onions:

1. Cut the greens, spread them on the surface of the tray in an even layer and put in the freezer for 6 hours. After that, move the bow into the bag. Thus, the greens will not stick together, and it can be easily taken for a dish in the right amount;

2. Boil green onions for 5-10 minutes, then dry and distribute in portions. Each serving is placed in a container or bag and then frozen. After that, you can take any amount of frozen onions, defrosting is not required.

The shelf life of frozen onions is up to 12 months. Avoid defrosting and re-freezing as this will spoil the product.

salting

Procedure:

1. Rinse the greens and wait until they are completely dry;

2. Cut the plant finely, medium or large — at your discretion;

3. Add salt at the rate of 250 g of salt per 1 kg of onion;

4. Place green onions in layers in a jar, sprinkling each new layer with salt.

Salting increases the shelf life of onions up to 7 months.

Pickling

You can make a pickled snack from onions.

Procedure:

1. Wash and dry the onion stalks;

2. Trim the bulbs and tips, place the greens in a container;

3. Add bay leaf, ground pepper, sugar and salt — just to taste;

4. Add some sunflower oil, vinegar;

5. Mince 3-4 cloves of garlic and add to the onion.

After 2 hours, the snack is ready to eat.

Butter billet

Procedure:

1. Rinse the plant, dry it;

2. Cut the green onion into pieces;

3. Place it in the jar, leaving about ¼ of the container free;

4. Pour vegetable oil into a container;

5. Mix the resulting mass well and close the container with a lid.

The oil product is stored for up to 6 months.

Drying

Such a product can be used as a seasoning for soups, side dishes. Its shelf life is up to 2 years. If you need to prepare the greens for a long time, then drying is the best option. The main thing is that the container where the dried onions will be stored should “breathe”.

Procedure:

1. Wash and cut the onion into pieces;

2. Transfer it to paper, and then put it in a warm place. You can dry the onions in open sunlight, in the oven or in an electric dryer.

Naturally, onions should be dried for a week. If you use an electric dryer, then several hours are enough for drying.

The degree of readiness is determined as follows: if the greens have become easy to break and crumble, then it can be poured into a dry jar. The container must be stored at room temperature.

Tips and nuances

1. During storage, check the condition of the onion regularly. If the feathers begin to rot or dry out, discard them immediately. Otherwise, rotting or drying will spread to the entire beam;

2. There are several signs of spoilage of the product: the appearance of mold, rotting, the appearance of an unpleasant odor, swelling of the lid on the jar. When they occur, the bow will have to be thrown away;

3. When chopping onions, it is recommended to cut them into thin slices 5 mm long. You do not need to use a food processor;

4. In a private house, pickles or onions in oil can be stored in the cellar, in the apartment — on the loggia (the main thing is that it be glazed).

Use our tips, and then at any time of the year you will have tasty and vitamin-rich greens at hand.