This past weekend, I pulled up 52 pounds of 10/15 onions. Definitely my best onion harvest ever. Now the question is, “What do I do with 52 lbs of onions”? Since my wife and I are empty nesters, it is going to take us a while to eat all of those onions. Especially when you take into account the fact that I just harvested an apple box full of shallots and I am still growing Egyptian Walking Onions. I am sure we will be sharing with our kids and neighbors, but we are still going to have to preserve a large number of these onions. Here’s how we preserve our onion crop:
10/15 onions in the potager two weeks ago
First, if you are new to gardening, you may wonder when to harvest or pull your onions. The general rule is “Pull when the tops fall over”. Below is a picture of what that looks like. I believe in letting nature take its course. I do not pull until 75% or more of the tops have fallen. Once they fall, you can leave them in the ground for a week to ten days. This starts the natural curing process. However, do not leave them in the ground much more than ten days as that makes them susceptible to soil borne pathogens that can cause mold and rot in storage. Just a little note, I have heard several people say you have to cure onions before you can eat them. This is not true. Onions can be eaten at any time in their growth cycle (tops and all). You only have to cure onions that you want to preserve.
The same onions from the first photo after their tops have fallen over
Once you have pulled your onions, spread them out in the sun. Make sure they have room between them for air circulation. I put mine on an old screen door up on saw horses. The length of time varies. If you pull them on a dry, hot day in Texas, then a few hours should be sufficient. If it has rained recently, the onions moisture content will be higher and you will need to leave them out until the roots become noticeably harder than when they were harvested.
Once they have completed this initial drying period, place them in a dry, shady place to allow them to complete the curing process. Many people put them on their porch. If you do not have room on your porch or in your garage, put them outside on a board or screen door to keep them off of the ground. Place a sheet over them for shade. Do not use plastic or canvas as this traps moisture. You can cut the tops off at this time if you wish but if you do, leave about one inch of top on the onion.
Placing the onions on an old screen door. Allow plenty of space around them so they will cure properly.
While they are drying, turn them every few days to make sure they are drying evenly. This part of the process can take two or three weeks. You will know they are ready when the outer skins are papery and the roots are dry and brittle.
Once your onion’s have cured, you can place them in mesh bags (or braid their tops together) and hang them in the garage for a little more drying. If you are going to put them in a root cellar where humidity is high, you want to make sure they are as dry as possible. Properly cured onions can keep for several months. Check them often and discard any that are becoming soft. If you see any sign of sprouting, eat them immediately, replant, or discard.
hey jay! that’s quite a harvest you got there! i just harvested 16 ‘pinot rouge’ red onions yesterday, my first exciting crop of onions. i was amazed at how much smaller the bulbs were who’s tops i let flower… probably half to a quarter the size of the bulbs that didn’t go to flower. satisfying none the less. enjoy!
I’ve never grown red onions. Where did you get them? Did you grow from seeds or sets?
i got them at the tamu holistic garden plant sale last fall as sets. bought one six pack that had multiple bulbils in each cell. i’ll definitely grow more onions in the future, they’re so easy and they don’t seem bothered by insects or neglect.
Pingback: Shallots in the Potager | The Masters of Horticulture
I have had great onions in the past, red, yellow and white. The past two years though my onions have been getting very mushy/soft some on the out sides some from the center. The ground is fairly airy so not sure why. Not sure if I’m leaving them in the ground too long. I leave them in until the tops actually start to turn brown. I do lay them out to dry on chicken wire suspended on saw horses out of the sun and under a tarp over head.
It is hard to say but you may be leaving them too long. I pull mine within two to three days after the tops fall. When onions are left in the soil they are exposed to several pathogens that actually live on, and are transported by, the organic matter in the soil. I would recommend in the future pulling and curing as soon as the tops fall.
Thanks for the info, I grew mine from seed in the greenhouse using containers. Based on your pictures mine are ready to pull!
Congrats! I admire people that take the time to grow their onions from seed.
Don’t worry about your excess onions – caramelise them (yummo!) and freeze in tart or serving size portions in zip-lock bags. Caramelised onion tarts will impress your family and friends. And you’ll love them!
Thank your so much for this info. This was my first time to do onions(red) and planted 72 of them. They are ready and I pulled them yesterday. This was great information.
Thanks! Glad you found it useful.
Some of mine have blossoms and I didn’t pull them yet. Can I collect the seeds and how do I do that? Can they keep for next year? Do the seeds need to dry?
Technically, onions are biennials. However, because we are so hot and our season is so long, many onions will flower in the first year. If they flower, you can collect and save the seeds. Once the heads flower, start watching them. After the petal die and start to fall off, you will find the seeds. the seeds are in clusters in a little “skin”. As soon as those skins open, you can collect them. If you do this, there is no need to dry them as nature has done that for you. Place your seeds in a paper container that breathes. Never store in a pill bottle or a ziplock bag as they trap moisture and can ruin the seeds. If possible store seeds in the refrigerator until ready to use. If properly stored they can be kept for two or three years but they are definately best if used soon.
Thanks for the info as well. One of them has opened up to blossom so I’ll keep my eyes open.
I can’t believe it! I pulled my onions and they are beautiful, left them out a few days to dry, weather was 80′s, left for a graduation and came home and it rained on them! Projected to be high 80′s to 90′s the next few days should I leave them in sun to dry, I hope I don’t lose them
They should be fine. If you want to make sure they are dry, move them onto a porch and let them dry a couple of more days.