Should You Refrigerate Onions? Here's the Right Way to Store Them to Maintain Peak Freshness

The best way to store onions depends on whether they're whole or chopped.

Whether it's the pungent bite of a red onion or the mellow presence of sautéed yellow onions, onions are essential in cooking. They are an ingredient you probably always have on hand—and, while they are one of the longest-lasting vegetables and can keep for months after you buy them, knowing how to store onions makes a big difference in their lifespan and freshness. We spoke to a chef and a food safety expert to learn about onion storage at home, including if they should ever be refrigerated.

Meet Our Expert

• Matthew Yee, chef at online farmers market Farm to the People

• Margarethe A. Cooper, Ph.D., associate professor of practice in the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences at the University of Arizona where she teaches food safety. and microbiology

Related: How to Store Garlic So It Stays Fresh as Long as Possible

The Best Way to Store Onions

Where and how you store your onions depends on whether they're whole or cut. In general, onions like air, dry climates, and cool temperatures. Maintaining optimal storage conditions will extend their shelf life significantly.

Store in a Cool, Dry Place

The ideal temperature to store onions is around 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Matthew Yee, chef at Farm to the People. For this reason, he says it's best to store onions in a cool, dry place like a cellar, pantry, or even a garage.

Tips

What About the Refrigerator?

While whole onions can be stored whole in the fridge, it's not recommended. Yee says that this causes the onion to convert starch to sugar, and can result in soft or soggy onions.

Reduce Moisture

Onions should be taken out of any plastic grocery bag prior to storage and kept away from produce that emits moisture, such as potatoes. "If you leave whole onions in a grocery bag without air circulation, it will reduce shelf life by keeping moisture in and encouraging spoilage microbes to grow, such as mold," says Margarethe A. Cooper, Ph.D., associate professor of practice in the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences at the University of Arizona. "High levels of moisture can also lead onions to sprout. If the bag you purchased or stored the onions in from the store is airtight, transfer them to a mesh bag or container that allows air circulation."

Keep Onions Away from Light

In addition to finding an area that's cool, dry, and well-ventilated, keep onions out of direct sunlight. "Heat created by sunlight or other sources can encourage the growth of spoilage microbes," Cooper says.

How to Store a Cut Onion

Unlike intact onions, an onion that has been cut is best stored in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container. It is important to note that apples, pears, and celery will absorb onion odors if stored near them, so making sure the onions are sealed can help prevent this from happening, Cooper says.

How to Freeze Onions

While it's not recommended to freeze whole onions, Cooper says chopped or sliced onions can be frozen. To do so, Yee says cut onions should be placed in a freezer bag with as much of the air squeezed out as possible. Know that freezing changes the texture of the onion, so Cooper recommends using onions that have been frozen for cooked foods rather than defrosting and eating them raw in a salad or sandwich.

How Long Onions Last

How long onions last depends on where they've been stored and how fresh they were when you bought them.

Peeled or Cut Onions

Cooper says that in the refrigerator, peeled onions will last 10 to 14 days and chopped onions will last for seven to 10 days.

Whole Onions

Refrigerator: While the refrigerator is not the best place to store whole onions, Cooper says they will generally last there for two months.

Room temperature: "If stored in an area of your home that is cool, with good ventilation, and dry, whole onions can have a shelf life of three months or even up to six months, provided they are dry, firm, with skins intact, and not sprouting," she says.

Freezer: If kept in the freezer at or below zero degrees, frozen onions should be consumed within eight months.

Read the original article on Martha Stewart.