What is the average shelf life of an onion? How long do onions last in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer? What is the best way to store onions to increase their shelf life? Find out the answers to these questions and more below:
Shelf Life of an Onion
| Pantry | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | 2-3 Years | - | - |
| Dried | 2-3 Years | - | - |
| Fresh | 5-7 Days |
Onions are an essential and most important ingredient in our kitchen, and for this reason, its storing importance is also necessary. The shelf life of onion varies as the green onions cannot stand room temperature and can get rotten in a day or so. For that reason, they are kept in a refrigerator where they can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks easily. After that, they get rotten and no longer in use. The dry onions are kept in the room temperature where their shelf life is at least 2 to 3 months.
Purchasing the Onions:
There are different kinds of onion available in the market, but we want the best type in our kitchen for making the perfect recipes. So, for this reason, we have to choose the dry onions that are usually available in 3 colors yellow-white or red, but the main one you see in the market is red or white which adds the perfect taste to your dishes. These onions have a longer life than the green onions that cannot live without proper cooling. The dry onions are readily available and are necessary for every kind of food recipe. It provides the perfect gravy to every food and makes you fall in love with it.
Storing Onions:
To save onions for more prolonged use is very easy to buy you also need to take some precautions to keep it safe. The onions are never kept inside a plastic bag so don’t consider this as a choice for storing them. The best way for storing dry onions is to keep them open in a dark place where they are kept under the room temperature. It is how you can use them for at least 3 to 4months without any worry. The green onions can be preserved for 2 months in the fridge inside a plastic bag. The dry onions can also be stored in the refrigerator but for only 2 to 3 weeks because they are said to lose their firmness when being kept above the room temperature.
How to Handle Onions:
It’s not that easy to handle onions because of the tears it causes when cutting them. To prevent this, first you need to wash them and soak or freeze them in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then cut them in the cold water, you can also cut them in hot water too. Both of the temperatures are effective for quick chop of the onions. It’s necessary to soak the onions in water for some time, as it also helps in reducing the pungent smell of it.
Cooking Onions:
We all know that onion is an excellent source of flavor and a necessary ingredient for our every kind of food. It adds up the gravy and makes the food taste amazing. Cooking onions are very easy as you just have to be sure of the color you want to heat it. You have to pour oil in a frying pan and add the sliced onions in it and stir the pan to avoid burning. If you want a dull and low color, then add the next ingredient or turn off the stove. Otherwise for more brown color, cook it further for a while and enjoy the flavors of onion in your favorite recipes.