Leaving as many outer scales intact as possible, I trim off leaves that have gone slimy or brown, and cut the green ones back to about 12 inches 30 cm.

I lightly rub off soil and place the bulbs on an open shelf outdoors, protected from rain. About two weeks later, the bulbs are ready to groom a second time and move indoors for a bit more drying time.

This round, I use scissors to clip off roots and all but two inches of the withering tops. Then I gently wipe the curing onions with a damp cloth to clean them, and arrange them in a single layer indoors. By this time they hardly smell at all, so the final curing usually takes places on the cool stones of my wood stove hearth.

After two weeks there, the onions are fully cured, ready to be relieved of their little stubs and shifted to the basement. Sweet, juicy onions including most short-day onions deteriorate quickly, so they should be stored in the refrigerator.

Other onions can be store in any cool, dry place. If you don't have a cool basement, look for alternative spots like downstairs closets or under your bed.

Given the same storage conditions, some onions will break dormancy long before others. When this happens, the onions soften and a green shoot may show at the top.

One of my favorite onions, 'Long Red of Tropea', will break dormancy in December no matter how well it's cured, but then it's not a storage onion. In my experience, varieties described in seed catalogs as "hard storage" onions will last until February, though they usually get eaten by then.

Dense little cipollinis and shallots stay in good condition all the way through winter, so they take over in the kitchen when the bulb onions are gone.

All in all, I can't think of a better use of six months of gardening time than growing and curing a generous supply of interesting and delicious gourmet onions that will last until spring.

The exceptions are Red Creole, a short-day red globe that keeps exceptionally well, and Texas Legend, a short-day yellow globe that can sometimes last up to four months. In fact, Red Creole was my favorite onion to grow when I lived in Southern California because I could count on it to last through Christmas!

When your onions are vigorously growing through the longer days of spring and summer, their stems are lush and happy and green.

You might even have a few onion flowers topping those stems. Shortly after, the stems will flop over at the neck. It starts with one or two plants, and then the rest, until it looks like your whole crop is dying.

Wait for one-half to three-quarters of your crop to flop, then bend over the stems of any remaining upright plants. You can simply bend them above the bulb with your hands; this is a signal for the plants to enter dormancy.

If some of your onions sent up flower stalks, you can just leave them be. When you notice the leaves on the first few plants start to fall over, stop watering and leave the onions in the ground for 7 to 14 days depending on how dry or humid your climate is to allow them to finish maturing.

Withholding water at this stage helps keep the onions from rotting. The same holds true for rain—if most of your onions are fully grown, harvest them all before a big rainstorm is expected because moisture spells trouble for mature onions.

On a dry, sunny day, carefully pull each onion out by the bulb, or dig around the plant to lift the bulb from the soil. Grabbing the weakened stem could cause it to pull off entirely, so make sure the stem stays intact to reduce the likelihood of rot. Lay the onions out on the ground or in another open, sunny area for a day or two to dry out the roots.

After a nice day of getting some sun, move the onions into a sheltered, shady spot under a tree, on a covered porch, or in a well-ventilated garage, for example and spread them out one by one.

Just set them out to dry, dirt and all, until the stems turn brown and brittle. If you have absolutely no shade around your house, you can lay them in the sun but covered with a thin cotton sheet to prevent sunburn.

Never use plastic, canvas, or other thick, non-breathable materials, which could stifle them. If you often get rain in the summer, you can cure your onions in a garage or basement, but turn them over a couple times a week to ensure even drying. The most important part of curing is giving them enough shade and having plenty of air circulation around the bulbs.

This last step in the curing process takes two to three weeks and sometimes up to four weeks, if your summers are very humid. You want your onions dry, dry, dry. The roots will become stiff and wiry, and the papery outer skins will dry out and constrict around the bulbs.

A couple layers of the outside skin will usually flake off with the stems, leaving you with a clean, smooth onion. If you had a few onions with flower stalks growing through the bulbs, use those up first.

The flower stalks retain a lot of moisture even after curing and will cause the onions to decay quicker in storage. Onions with blemishes or bruises should also be used up first, as well as onions whose skins came off completely.

Onions store best in a cool and dry, dark and airy space, inside brown paper bags, nylon mesh bags, wire or wicker baskets, milk crates, or burlap sacks. The recommended temperature for long-term storage is 32°F to 45°F at 65 percent to 70 percent humidity, but should never exceed 70°F if you want your onions to last.

Ideally, you should keep them just above freezing but below room temperature. Related: The Ultimate Guide to Harvesting, Curing, and Storing Garlic. Keep in mind that even after curing, onions are still very much alive and need cool, dry conditions to stay dormant.

Any change in temperature or humidity can cause them to break dormancy and sprout again. You should check your onions every few weeks for green shoots that might emerge in storage. I once let my onions linger in a warm room for a couple of months, and came back to alien-like green tentacles taking over my shelf.

Related: Find First and Last Frost Dates Accurately with This Custom Planting Calendar. Onions are edible right out of the ground and can be eaten at any stage of growth. You only need to cure onions that you want to store.

Also, gardeners in warm climates who grow short-day onions may not want to go through the entire process of curing. The great thing about onions is that they can be harvested at any stage of growth.

If you like the tender leafy tops, you can pick onions when they look like scallions; if you like small, salad-type onions, you can simply harvest them in spring. Shallots mature in about 90 days and are ready to be picked in mid to late summer when their leaves start to turn brown and fall over.

Just as you do with globe onions, watch for the tops to flop, then stop watering for several days. When at least half the crop has withered, pull the shallots from the ground. Shallots are cured and stored the same way globe onions are. Because of their smaller size, however, they cure in half the time just one to two weeks.

If a sprouted onion still feels firm and looks good, just eat it! First remove the green shoot in the center of the onion, then either use it chopped up like green onions or discard it. Then you can use the rest of the onion like normal. Yes, you can! If you let it get a little warm while your onions are in storage, your onions are more likely to break dormancy and send up a green shoot sprout so they can begin growing again.

The sprouts are edible, as are the rest of the onions. Do not eat an onion that shows signs of mold, or has turned brown, soft, or mushy. You can plant these newly divided, sprouted sections individually, keeping the roots and sprouts intact. The sprouted section should eventually develop into a full bulb.

Not at all. Onion sprouts the green shoots that emerge from the bulb are percent edible, but the flavor varies from pleasantly onion-y to slightly bitter. There are many other unusual parts of vegetables you grow that are edible as well.

View the Web Story on how to harvest, cure, and store onions. The No-Waste Vegetable Cookbook is my latest book. Garden Betty is where I write about modern homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventuring—all that encompass a life well-lived outdoors.

After all, the secret to a good life is Read more ». Hi, I have to say I have used many of your methods, for garlic curing and choosing types especially. Thank you! The only good place I have to dry them is high up in my gazebo which means I would have to hang them.

Otherwise they get rained on. Have you ever tried hanging them or will the stems break as they dry? I needed some advice on when to harvest my onions. There was so much information that I am now in a good place to prepare them ready for storage.

I look forward to reading the rest of your information on fruit and vegetables, great stuff and thank you. Super helpful.

Thank you so much. Following step by step and it is so much fun. I started onions from seeds indoors and transplanted them outside. Damaged bulbs give off moisture, which is favorable for development of diseases in storage.

Resources: CSU Extension and the University of Saskatchewan. The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and UMass Extension are equal opportunity providers and employers, United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Contact your local Extension office for information on disability accommodations. Agricultural Experiment Station. Commercial Horticulture. Environmental Conservation.

Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory. Conservation Assessment Prioritization System CAPS. North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative. Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine. Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture. Pesticide Education. UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst Open UMass Global Links Menu Visit Apply Give Search UMass.

Back to top Onions, Harvest and Curing. Harvest Tips for Best Quality 1 Be sure onions are well dried and necks tight i. Last Updated:. January Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment Stockbridge Hall, 80 Campus Center Way University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA Phone: Fax: ag cns.

CAFE Units Mass.