storing onions

[locolobo]

Last year I grew about 100 lbs. of 1015 onions. Tasted great. But about 20-25% rotted in storage. I dried them for about 2 weeks, braided the tops and hung them in the boat shed out of the sunlight. This year I have about 200 lbs that I pulled yesterday and do not want to lose any of them. So! what is the best way to store onions?:cheers: Harold

[Profish00]

put them in Pantyhose then hang

[speckle-catcher]

give me 5# I won't let'em go to waste.

they will however, go to waist. ;)

:D

[Meadowlark]

Actually, 20% loss isn't all that bad here in East Texas with our hot humid nights.

My technique is pretty much as you described except maybe I have more air flow around them. I try to avoid them touching in storage as that contact seems to promote rot. I hang them in complete shade in an open ended shed.

Those 1015 are really terrific and home grown onions are far superior to store bought ones.

[BigTim]

Mom put them up in nylon stockings and kept them seperated with a bread tie. She also put a fungicide powder on them, but can't remember what at the moment. 20% ain't bad.

[cd]

I grow mine for cooking with and usually just chop mine up. Put them in gallon bags and freez them. Just hit the bag on the counter when you need some, (they break up nicely) and put the rest back in the freezer. This works well for me along with bell peppers. I usually grow around 50 lbs year. Every year if I have some left over I have no problem giving them to friends who have tryed them in the past.

[Meadowlark]

Here's part of my '09 crop. They will last a year at least(or until consumed) in this configuration.

[Rockin'2]

Wow, what a nice crop of onions. Maybe next year mine will look that good.

[Procrastinator]

Here's part of my '09 crop. They will last a year at least(or until consumed) in this configuration.

Newbie question but, doesn't leaving the tops on whick moisture away from the bulbs?

[Meadowlark]

Not that I have noticed. Those onions were all dried in the sun for a couple of days before hanging them out on the line. I have found the opposite...i.e. if you remove the tops the onion will dry out and will not last as well as in the configuration shown. .

[BEER4BAIT]

Thats good to know Meadow, I have used my garlic and onions in canned sauses like salsa, ketchup etc I may hang the big ones for later. Hey where do you get those 1015/Noondays from they look good. I got some that big but some are only as big as my whites, I got huge purple. Last 3 years they are getting smaller and I compost manure. Help me

[Meadowlark]

Got them from a local feed store. Planted about Nov. 1. Most of the growth in the bulb happened in the last couple of months. They may be getting smaller because pulling some minerals out of the soil. I try to rotate my locations every year in a slightly different row. Other than that, just lucky to have soil they like.

[Red3Fish]

but something I remember my grandma doing, is she would walk along the rows of onions, and kind of "step firmly" on the green tops and "gently break them over", just enough to break the veins going to the green tops. She would do this prolly 1-2 weeks before they were ready to pull.

She said it was to "direct all the nutrients" to the bulb which helped it fully develop, instead of the green part, and the green would be partially dry when she stored them...helped some to reduce the black mold on them.

If I were you, I wouldn't do a whole row, baised on my recollections, but might try it on some to see if any difference.

Unfortunately, I dont have a garden to try it on!!

PS....I fish with a buddy on L Palestine every month...in the spring...they sell the Nooday starter onions there...If I remember..next year will post up and bring back some for anyone that wants them. Pretty cheap for a big ole gob of starter sets.

Good Luck
Later
R3F

[Red3Fish]

AND....I am open to barter....3 big ole tasty homegrown tomatos per 25 starter Noondays!! Of course I would have to do it "on account" until your tomatos came in! LOL I DO love me some good homegrown tomatos!!

Later
R3F