What are some ways to save my garden onions to use later?

Question

Live in zone 4, and if I dug them all up, I could fill up 3 five gallon pails or so. They did so good!
I have a vaccuum sealer, should I use this and freeze them? Whole or chopped?
What about putting them in the basement? What temperture is best? Single layer, or put something in between? I really don't want my basement smelling too onion-ey!
Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

cool, dry place...what is too cool? If I leave them in my garden shed they will freeze. Basement, well I have an old house and it has a fruitroom, where they used to store the canned produce. If I put them there, how warm is too warm and will they smell up my house? There is a different furnace from when the house was built and the basement is warmer than when the fruitroom was originally set up. Your answers are great, gives me something to think about at work today!

Answer 1

You could do any of the following: dehydrating, freezing, hanging, or boxing.

I think the best way to keep them is by weaving the stems together then hanging the onions in a cool dry place.

If you want to box them up, then buy some dry wood shavings or saw dust and put down a layer of wood shavings then lay out your onions. Make sure to keep a little bit of space between each onion. This prevents the bunch from going bad if one goes bad. Then lay down another layer of wood shavings, then more onions, etc.

You can also dehydrate them. This is a little tricky. Onions can turn brown and look burned very easily when you try dehydrating them.

Or you can freeze them. Like the one person said, if you freeze them you will get a lot of water run off when you open the bag back up. Freezing the onion bursts the plant cells, causing water to run out of the cut up onions.

Answer 2

I also grow alot of onions every year and then eat them over twelve months. The best thing to do is when the stems have turned over in the garden, pull them up and leave them where they are outside to dry off for about a week. Then lay them flat in a green house / shed / garage or somewhere dry where they won't be in the way and leave them until the necks have gone dry, (they should be browns and straw like). They are now ready to hand up in bunches. I normally put 10 - 12 in a bunch and hang them from nails in my shed. Just pull one off when needed. Keep checking them every week as occassionally one will go off and start to smell. If they do remove it and compost it. The others should still be okay.
Good luck.

Answer 3

Dehydrating onions is a good way to store them for long periods of time. Cut them into small pieces and cook until dried on a low temp in your oven or in a dehydrate.

Keeping them in a cool dark place such as the bottom drawer of your refrigerator will keep them for a few months too. Just add a box of baking soda to keep the smell down.

Sounds like you had a huge harvest! Congrats! You might want to check with friends and neighbors to see if they need any or you can donate some to a non-profit organization who cooks for people too.

Answer 4

Yea you could put them in the freezer if you do the vac seal bags... you could also dehydrate some, you could keep them in the basement in a cool dark dry place and they will stay for awile.

Answer 5

do not freeze onions!! you will have a soggy mess when you defrost them!!! tie them together, stems and all and hang them in a cool dry place

Answer 6

Yes, you can freeze chopped onions.

Or you can store them whole:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC7060.html#1005-25

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/alt-ag/onions.htm