I Asked 4 Farmers How To Store Onions—They All Said the Same Thing

My husband loves onions, so we always have one somewhere on the kitchen counter. If it’s not eaten quickly enough, it gets smelly and mushy. There’s got to be a better storage solution, so I talked to four onion farmers and experts. They said the most important thing to keep onions fresh is airflow.

“Store onions in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location, such as a garage or cellar. Place them in mesh bags or netting to permit airflow,” says Bruce L Frasier, president of Texas-based Dixondale Farms, which has been producing onions since 1913. “Periodically check for any soft onions and remove them to avoid deterioration of the others.”

Each year, Peri & Sons Farms grows more than 500 million pounds of white, red, yellow, sweet, and organic onions in Nevada and California. “Proper airflow is essential for storing onions. Store them out of direct light, but it doesn’t have to be dark,” says Peri representative Kelsey Weingart. “Opt for a well-ventilated area like a mesh bag, wire basket, or wooden crate.”

John Shuman, President and CEO of Shuman Farms, which grows sweet Vidalia onions in Georgia, says the best way to store sweet onions is to keep them in a cool, dry place separated from each other.

He suggests storing sweet onions in the legs of clean, sheer pantyhose and tying a knot between each onion. Then, hang them in a cool, dry place with plenty of airflow. You can also place them on elevated racks in a cool, dry place. Just be sure they aren’t touching each other.