Storing onions

[Cath4420]

My mum and sister went to the markets last Friday and I received a whole box full of vegies. They purchased a whole box of onions and sliced them all up. My DS advised me to place them in a flat container in the freezer but the odour from the onions is quite pungent. Does anyone have any ideas on how to store onions in the freezer and how to stop the odour permeating any other foods.

[ChefJune]

Onions can only be stored in the freezer if they are chopped and packaged. Onions need to be stored in a cool, dark, DRY place. Nowhere in the fridge or freezer is it dry. Onions mold in that much moisture.

Edit: sorry, I just noticed you said they had all been sliced! They will only keep for a short while in the freezer. Ice crystals have a way of grabbing onto them otherwise. I would put them in zip lock freezer bags and measure how much you are putting in each so you'll know when you take them out.

I presume you are intending to cook all of them eventually, but you might want to plan on making onion soup soon!

Next time, ask them not to cut them up before they give them to you! they keep much better whole, in their skins.

[GotGarlic]

I would put them in a FoodSaver bag.

Edited: Since they're already sliced up, I would store them in the freezer in a Foodsaver bag, but ordinarily they don't need refrigeration and will keep a long time in a cool, dark place. Store them away from potatoes, though.

[Corey123]

I store them in the veggie bin in the fridge.

[Katie E]

I just chopped up about 3 pounds of onions and put them in HandiVac bags in the freezer. When I need some chopped onions for a cooked dish, all I have to do is measure out the quantity I need.

Fresh onions? I keep them in a mesh basket in the darkest part of my kitchen. Never have trouble with them spoiling, sprouting or molding.

[Corey123]

They'll spoil even in the fridge if they're in there long enough.

About a week or so ago, I went to get an onion out of the fridge to saute for a dish.

When I cut through it, I found out that it had pratically rotted through. Couldn't save it and had to dump it and get another one.

[pacanis]

I can keep a skinned onion in the fridge on a plate with plastic wrap for up to 2 weeks. I just slice into it as needed.
I always thought the fridge was a dry place. It is afterall refrigerated.... and the biggest part of refrigeration is removing moisture and humididty. If you have moisture in your refrigerator your fan may not be working properly.

[Masonthechef]

I usually keep mine in a somewhat covered bowl on my counter. They last a few weeks, and when to start to go it just gives me motivation to cook em :P

[Digger]

• When my wife buys onions by the bag she separates them in old nylons and hangs them when she needs one she just cuts one off. This way they have good air circulation around them and they keep all winter or summer depends when we buy a bushel. Usually 1 bushel winter 1 bushel in the summer. She ties a knot between each onion in the ladies nylon. This works GREAT! Digger

[Michael in FtW]

Originally Posted by Digger

• When my wife buys onions by the bag she separates them in old nylons and hangs them when she needs one she just cuts one off. This way they have good air circulation around them and they keep all winter or summer depends when we buy a bushel. Usually 1 bushel winter 1 bushel in the summer. She ties a knot between each onion in the ladies nylon. This works GREAT! Digger

I use the pantyhose method too ... but I use the twist-ties from bread wrappers instead of knots ... that way I can reuse them (the pantyhose) by just removing a twistie - but then being a single guy I don't have a ready supply of used stockings - and I hate to waste them even if I get them from the 99-cent store.

Unfortunately, the original question was how to manage onions that were sliced - not whole:

Originally Posted by Cath4420

... They purchased a whole box of onions and sliced them all up. My DS advised me to place them in a flat container in the freezer but the odour from the onions is quite pungent. Does anyone have any ideas on how to store onions in the freezer and how to stop the odour permeating any other foods.