Storage Onions

Cured yellow, red, and white bulb onions—the workhorse of every kitchen. Sharp and crisp raw, deeply sweet once cooked, and built to keep all winter long.

Storage

Keep them somewhere cool, dark, dry, and with good airflow—a pantry shelf, a mesh bag, or an open basket all work. Don't seal them in plastic; they need to breathe or they sweat and rot. Skip the fridge (the damp softens them) and store them away from potatoes, which give off moisture and gas that make onions sprout faster. Once you cut one, wrap the leftover half and refrigerate it.

Keeps For

Farm-fresh cured onions can keep over a year—typically 6–12 months—though it's very variety-dependent, so ask your farmer. Fresh onions that don't have a papery cured skin usually last 2–4 weeks. A cut or diced onion lasts about a week wrapped in the fridge.

Flavor Profile

Raw, they're sharp and pungent with a crisp, watery crunch that mellows the longer they sit after cutting. Heat transforms them completely: a slow sauté turns them soft, golden, and jammy-sweet, while a hot roast crisps the edges. Yellow onions are the all-purpose middle ground, red onions are a touch milder and good raw, and white onions are cleaner and sharper. The longer and lower you cook any of them, the sweeter they get.

How to Prep

To cut down on tears, chill the onion for 15 minutes first and use a sharp knife—a dull blade crushes cells and releases more of the compound that stings your eyes. Trim the top, halve it through the root, peel, and leave the root end intact while you slice; it holds the layers together and gives you something to hold. For even cooking, cut all your pieces the same size. If raw onion is too harsh for a salad or sandwich, soak the slices in cold water for ten minutes to tame the bite.

Ways to Cook

1 Sauté as the base for soups, stews, sauces, and braises—almost every savory dish starts here.
2 Caramelize low and slow for burgers, dips, tarts, and French onion soup.
3 Roast in wedges with olive oil until soft and browned at the edges.
4 Slice raw and thin onto burgers, tacos, sandwiches, and salads.
5 Quick-pickle in vinegar for a bright, tangy topping.
6 Dice into salsa, pico de gallo, and relishes.
7 Grill thick rings or wedges alongside the rest of dinner.
8 Batter and fry into onion rings, or blossom a whole one.

Pairs Well With

garlic butter olive oil thyme beef balsamic vinegar bay leaf gruyère bacon tomatoes bell peppers potatoes cumin lime cheddar

Good to Know

A little softness or a green sprout in the center doesn't mean the onion is bad—cut the sprout out and use the rest. Toss any onion that's gone mushy, wet, moldy, or smells sour. Onions bruise from being dropped, so a soft brown patch is usually just damage; cut it away. Sweet onions and any onion stored somewhere warm or humid will sprout and soften much faster than a firm yellow onion in a cool pantry.

Did You Know?

Onions were rationed in Britain during World War II and became so scarce that they were handed out as raffle and competition prizes. They've been cultivated for thousands of years—ancient Egyptians buried them with their dead and saw the concentric rings as a symbol of eternity.

Our Recipes Using Storage Onions

Butter Sautéed Fennel and Onions

Simple, sweet caramelized fennel and onions cooked slowly in butter. A perfect side dish that highlights the natural sweetness of both vegetables.

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup with Asian Greens

A comforting, simple soup that combines tender chicken, rice, and fresh Asian greens with the mild flavor of green garlic. A twist on classic chicken rice soup.

Pico de Gallo

Fresh chopped salsa with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime. Ten minutes with a knife and it beats anything from a jar by a mile.

Zuppa Toscana (Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup)

Creamy soup with Italian sausage, potatoes, and a mountain of kale that cooks down to silk. One pot, weeknight-fast, and the reason a lot of people fell in love with kale in the first place.