Welcome to my "now what?" series. This is part of my Food Storage Prepping in the Garden collection to help you better understand what you are growing and how to use your harvest.
Before you even get started with purchasing onion seeds, it is important to plant the right type of onion for your region. Read, Choosing the Right Onion for Your Garden.
This is an important step!
Onions can be harvested at any stage. I have grown Onion microgreens in raised beds as well as seed trays in as few as 14 days. Onions can be harvested early as “green onions/scallion” or left to fully mature in 90-120 days.
This information is specifically for bulbing onions, not bunching onions. I’ll address bunching onions in a future post.
Knowing When to Harvest Bulbing Onions
Onions are ready to harvest when their green stalks turn yellow, soften at the neck, and flop over naturally. After your onion tops fall, wait another week or two before harvesting, allowing the bulbs to dry further. If your onion produces a thick, woody flower stalk (bolts), harvest and eat it immediately. Bolting onions will not store well and will quickly become woody and tough.
How to Cure Bulbing Onions
After harvesting onions, leave them out for a day in the sun (as long as rain isn’t in the forecast) so they can begin to dry and cure. I do not leave my onions in the garden to dry due to critters. A sturdy shelf on a covered patio works very well.
Do not wash the onions, or remove the green tops and roots when you harvest. Gently brush off any loose soil.
Curing onions is the process of allowing them to finish drying and sealing after harvest. This is essential for them to last in long-term dry storage.
Bring your onions indoors and allow to fully cure/dry for 7-10 days in a cool, dry spot with plenty of airflow. Some gardeners will hang their onions to cure and others use a drying rack. Either works.
The curing process takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the humidity and temperature.
Once your onions are fully dry, carefully trim off the roots and tops before storing but leave their papery skins intact.
RECIPES
Easy Homemade Meatball Recipe (gf option)
Sausage & Veggie Stuffed Delicata
