My grandmother says th same thing, "waste not, want not". She was visiting me and I learned a lot of things from her, she left today but will surely tell her your Grammy says the same thing. I would be trying this method to store my onions and garlic. My question is can I store ginger too in the same way? I use a lot of ginger and garlic.
I learn so much from you too. You are doing a great job posting useful information.
Thanks

I am so gonna try this!

Do you have any tips on storing potatoes, oranges, or apples?

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've been going crazy the past few months trying to figure out a way to keep my garlic and onions from rotting or sprouting. Have you ever grown garlic or onions? I have about 10 each that have sprouted that I need to figure out how to grow instead of throwing out.

Ok.  It's officially official.  You are brilliant.  Grammy is brilliant.
I salute you and wonder what else I'm doing wrong........  :)

or....you can put them in the fridge.

BRILLIANT and perfectly timed.  I just discovered your blog when you posted the PF Changs green bean recipe - exceptional idea you had with the asparagus.  The coconut rice recipe is a new family favorite, and now this!  You may be my new favorite blog!  Keep it up!  and THANKS!

So helpful! Your blog is always so awesome! Thank YOU!

Thanks for the great idea! Would that work for ginger roots as well?
All the best,
Simchah

Hey Monica, love the blog. I was wondering I have similar issues with potatoes, can I use this technique with potatoes but just not store them near the onions ?
Keep up the great work !

This is awesome!  Thanks to your mom!

My sister told me it isn't good to keep onions on hand because they produce their own poison, I had never heard of anything like that before.  Has anybody else?

Beautiful! Monica, I would love it if you also offered one or more select options for garlic presses. I used to have what worked for me as the *perfect* garlic press. It was plain black metal, all-one-piece, fairly ergonomic & easy to use, empty & clean. I left it with a friend as a kindness & have never gotten it back or found another I like. What I don't like are over-designed garlic presses that seem 5x more complicated in manufacture than they need to be.
Larger-grip handles would be ok but the press-part needs to be simple. Any suggestions?

Growing onions and garlic is very easy, I grow loads of both every year. Garlic is best planted in autumn when the cloves are starting to shoot. Onions can be planted nearly any time, I tend to start the seeds in a tray then separate and plant them out. Both onions and garlic take considerable time to mature and a main issue with them is to keep the weeds from growing around them and smothering the little plants, carefully mulching will help a lot. Neither onions or garlic are terribly fussy with much fertilizing and won't wilt if you forget to water them. They really are so much yummier when home-grown and keep longer because they are so fresh. I will certainly try the paper bags too, sounds so simple and would solve an annoying problem. I also would like to know how to store potatoes for longer...anyone? Potatoes also are rather easy to grow.

Store potatoes in the vegetable section of your refrigerator.

I can not wait to try this!

Thanks, Monica!  Love this idea and will try this out this week.   Thanks for sharing it and please tell Grammy thanks, too.

Super - I'm going to do this.  Now can you help with potatoes?  Should we do the same??

Genius!! Thank you so much! On my "to do" list for tomorrow - buy a hole punch. :)  Thanks again!

When I cut the root off the onion I put in dirt just to cover and it doesn't take long before I have green onions to eat. just keep cutting and they just keep coming.
Enjoy

hey this is appi from india...i m a working wife and hardy find the time to replenish onions and garlic just in time. so i end up stock piling them in advance for about 4 to 5 kgs half of which rot out. i"l make sure i use ur tip and i hope it works in our mumbai's humid conditions. thanks a lot for the tip though.

Thank-you So much for getting back to me.  I am going to find out from my sister where she found that out and I will pass along the info.  I want to send her this link about storing onions.  I like this idea!!!

... Россия, СИБИРЬ. Лучше всего хранить чеснок при комнатной температуре, пересыпать крупной солью

I simply love the idea.........thank you.  In India we use so much of onions and garlic and when we buy a lot sometimes it goes bad because of our weather in Chennai, where it is hot all the year round.  I am going to try it out.

just today come across some old office supplies from where I used to work...hole puncher, check, varying sizes of binder clips, check, paper clips, check...and I know for a fact the $ tree has brown paper lunch bags :)  This tip alone has made pinterest worth while, and I've been here a while :)  Thanks.

Does Grandma recommend a method for storing potatoes too :)

What a fantastic tip!!! We use onions all the time, so this will be great. Thank you!

Thank you! I just threw away some shallots and was super bummed about it. I'm definitely doing this.

Wow!  Glad I found this on Pinterest.  I have recently harvested my very first crop of garlic and I want to make sure it lasts.  Your page on this is VERY well put together.  I am no blogger but after pinning for some time now, I can tell you put a ton of time and thought into it.  Thank you for sharing.

Another great tip from your site - thank you so much!  I was getting so frustrated because the organic onions I buy come in a bag and are not sold individually.  I could never use them before they would go bad and then I found your tip for storing them.  It works!!!  I really love all your posts, you have given me so many ideas, helpful hints, and recipes that have become family favorites.  Please keep them coming!

This is great I have to try this as I already have the bags as I use them to dry my herbs in though I don't punch holes in the lunch bags for my herbs to dry.

Will this method work for freshly harvested shallots and garlic?  I just pulled mine yesterday.  typically I hang them to dry and store them in a plastic bin.  Sadly, I lose a lot of them using that storage method.  

So do you think I need to dry the shallots and garlic before storing them this way?

Great Idea!!! Will be trying.  By the way, Paul, if you store potatoes in the frig, they become very sweet - the starch turns to sugar.  Not pleasant when making things like scalloped potatoes.  Learned that the hard way.

Thank you for posting this!!  I will definitely give this a try.  I really appreciate the fact that you gave this method a 3 month trial before posting.  Gives me confidence in trying it out too!

Does this work for fesh herbs?

Potatoes are a bumper crop in CO. Being a professional driver with my owncompany, I have many times picked up potatoes as a means of getting to a better paying load. All of the storage facilities do not shop fresh picked potatoes (they are at least one possibly two seasons old) the sforage facilities all have several common themes, dirt floors, dark, approx. Temp 50ISH degrees. Think grandmas root cellar. Humidity must be  controlled. Root fellers are earthy, dry, cool, and dark. My grandma stored her home grown potatoes this way. Store bought produce is not fresh unless you are talking about spinach, and certain other leafy veggies. Always look for where it was grown and that should be an indication about freshness. FYI I have picked up many Idaho potatoes in CO delivered them to Idaho.

Thanks for this. We grow our own garlic, onion and shallots. I wonder how long this great storage idea will make them last in my pantry. Do you think large paper bags would also work since do grow a lot of our own produce?  Also, how far apart should onions be stored from potatoes? Hoping I can put them both in my pantry just further apart.

Thanks to you and your mom!  I really hate it when the onions an other such bulbs that I have taken the time to grow spoil.  Maybe now I will get to use them all before the rot   Barb

Hi,

I store my onions in the thin plastic mesh they are bought in and keep everything in a card-board box. I think it works the same.
I always wondered though why only one or two potatoes/onions got spoiled and everythin else was ok. Thank you for the tipp about not storing potatoes and onions together, it totaly makes sense, I will separate them immediately. :-)

That is so cool! Can I store leeks the same way?

VERY good article. I remember many years ago when produce departments had paper bags how certain things lasted longer.

Sorry i don't use social media, liked reading your column for the first time.
info about ginger.  cut into chunks and store in freezer via zip lock bags.
when you need some for stir fry, take it out and just grate some in a fine
grater while it is frozen. toss the unused portion back into the freezer  for the
next time. it keeps for a really long time.    if you need it sliced  instead just
let it thaw out a bit  to slice into rounds or julienne it for slivered pieces.

Hi there! I'm not sure if this question has been asked or not. Would a large paper bag (like one from the groceries store) would work instead of several little bags? For when I buy the bag of onions. Thanks!

My first peek at your interesting site - guided by a good friend.  I'm impressed:  Not only is this helpful and beautifully explained, but the photography is outstanding.  

Wow, neat idea!  I've got a 3-hole punch that would make this much easier and faster too.

Great, simple and inexpensive idea! Now all I need to do is make space for the bags. Looking forward to seeing my root vegs. last longer. Thanks!

Another good way to store onions is in pantyhose legs put  a knot between each onion and hang it under the basement stairs or dark cool place. Just cut off one at a time as needed.

This is awesome.  I have used an onion bag with some success but this is way easier and separates the various types.  Thanks for this. :-)

Very cool - thanks :)

And did you know that you can grow more carrots and onions from the root ends that you cut off before peeling?

If you'd like to see what I'm talking about, this is the link :)

http://ecofootprintsa.blogspot.com/2013/05/ha-did-you-know.html

Instead of using a regular hole punch, you can use a three-hole punch like used for binders. More leverage and the.punch.thingies can be adjusd somewhat closer.

Great idea. God bless you and your mother for sharing it with everyone.

Thank you for sharing this information!

Great article and great comments!!!  I admit to laughing every time the crossed out "seldom" appeared!

I have used screen wire supported in a cool place behind my house( the shade) to put potatoes on so I have them last longer.

Thought I would pass on a hint for storing mushrooms.  Usually when I purchase them in the store they need to be used up in a few days or they will go bad.  I take them out of the packaging and put them in a brown paper bag.  Roll the top of the bag so no air or light reaches them. Store them in the fridge as usual.

wow! this is an excellent idea since we used to buy onions in bulk especially if the price is a good deal. It's just that they have rotten easily, now I know how to store them. Thank you very much!!!

This is a wonderful idea ....thank you will try....

I put my ginger in the freezer and then just grate what I need.  

You know, I had forgotten all about this Method, and was just "Dumping" them into the draw together. (Wondering why so many were headed for "The Wastelands.") But now that I have Purchased Organic Garlic & Shallot "seeds" I'm looking to preserve a few. Thank you very much for the "Reminders."

What about leeks? Can they be stored the same way?

Hi Monica,  I was looking for some tips on storing garlic and I checked out what you had to say on your blog.  I like the idea of storing garlic and onions in punched paper bags.  I think I  will give it a try.  I just read all the comments that were posted by various people and I have some of my own suggestions and advice on food storage.  As far as storing potatoes goes,  they should never be stored in the refrigerator until after they have been peeled or processed in some other way!  They need to be kept in a cool, dark, and dry place until they are used.  I keep mine in a ventilated plastic bin in a cupboard in my kitchen on the bottom shelf and I have been storing my onions and garlic on a shelf just above the potatoes in another ventilated plastic bin.  I have never had any problems storing them this way.  I think the produce is far enough apart so they don't affect each other.  I also check the onions and potatoes to make sure they're okay periodically.  Another thing about potatoes is if you ever see any green coloring on them, don't use them!  That means they are getting toxic!  Remember, they are a member of the Nightshade family!  I have a suggestion to offer about storing fresh herbs.  I used to have a problem keeping cilantro from rotting and not staying fresh until I started putting it in a little glass jar with water in it and keeping it in the refrigerator that way.  It really works!  When I'm in the store picking out the cilantro, I make sure I select the best looking and freshest bunch possible and I put it in a plastic bag with a tie on it and of course make sure that it's placed on top of the groceries in the bag so it doesn't get damaged in any way.  Then as soon as I get home, I put in the glass jar in water.  This method would probably work for other herbs too!  Yes, leeks should be stored in the refrigerator too, just like the green onions.  That's all I have to say for now,  thanks for the advice and helpful suggestions!

I have been searching forever to find the perfect way to store onions etc., and when I saw your suggestion, I just knew I found it. Cheap, sustainable and effective. Thank you!

Hi!
I came across your idea on Pinterest. I've tried different ways of storing onions and garlic for long periods of time, but haven't been successful. So I usually only buy a couple onions at a time and store them in the fridge (not the way you are supposed to do it I know). I made these sacks and am storing them in a small basket in my pantry cabinet. I'm interested to see how long they last! Thanks for the tip/inspiration on how to store them!
http://tastefulcuisine.blogspot.com

I was taught to put onions, potatoes, etc in panty hose or nylons.  Put in a onion with root down all the way to the toe.  Tie it off with a knot.  Add next onion, tie it off, etc until they are all tied in.  Then as you need them, cut the nylon off below the knot.  Easy.  I hang mine in the basement stairway so it is cooler but easily available.  No weight crushing and plenty of air

finally got around to trying this. I had the onion in the bag for a few weeks and it sprouted. I wonder if it got just enough light through the holes to sprout because other than it being near a door, everything else was the same. About 70 degrees, no potatoes nearby, holes in the bag, etc. I still use sprouted onions though. I just cut the sprout parts off.

Thanks for the great info, I'm getting to harvest my shallots and elephant garlic.

Great information!

I've always been curious though - how far apart do you need to store onions and potatoes?  I've heard this before but nobody is willing to be specific.  Are different shelves in the same pantry ok?  I'm not taking any perishable food to my basement.  We will simply forget about it.

A very interesting and useful tips.  Definitely will try it out.

does this mean they can be stored next to each other, the onions and the garlic?

Fantastic idea!  Thnx!  But if you put the paper bags with onions in the fridge your eyes wont water/burn when you have to cut/peel them.  It REALLY works!

Good tip if you buy your onions in bulk 3 lb bags or more. Save the page for future reference if needed.

As far as storing garlic, my family used to raise Elephant Garlic.  The best way i have found to store that is to keep it out of the sunlight and in a warm dry, preferably dark place with good ventilation.  Storing it in a paper bag with lots of vent holes is a good idea or even in a nylon bag just so long as it is in a dark, dry place, it will keep for a very long time!  

As far as potatoes go, they like to be in the dark, and in a cool area, around 40 degrees.  You want to store them similar to apples.  Make sure that there are no defects in the skins, no cuts or bruising as these potatoes will rot very quickly.  You can wash the potatoes and then sort them, make sure that the potatoes you are storing are free from any cuts, root sprouts, bruises, etc.  You want to make sure that you keep them well ventilated, you can put them in a wicker basket or a cardboard box.  I would put newspaper down then a layer of potatoes, another layer of paper, then potatoes, etc and top off with a lid.  Check your potatoes periodically and take out any potatoes that have spoiled as they will quickly spoil any potatoes that they touch!!  Finally as far as where to put the little spuds when you have finished packaging them up, if you have a basement or root cellar that is ideal!  They like to be kept very cool  (around 34-40 degrees)  but NOT MOIST!  If you don't have a basement or root cellar then a dark corner of the garage would work over the winter.  Remember... DARK and COOL, (not damp) those two elements are key in storing potatoes.  

I hope any of this information was helpful to any who needed it!  :)

This a great idea. . . . I. Visiting a friend in Texas I offered to cook. . . . and ewe. . .   the garlic was moldy in a plastic bag in the fridge.. . .

Interesting storage solution for garlic, shallots, etc.  I have been storing my garlic in the fridge for years and it last's month's. I keep it in a ceramic cofee cup. That's it, uncovered and in the small space areas on the door. This has worked well for years.

I am going to try the paper bag solution as I'll be getting onions and shallot's when my garden is harvested. Thanks for compiling these tips!

Hi. Do you put one onion in per bag or multiple? Also I rarely use a whole onion while cooking so what do you do with the leftover onion? I usually wrap it in saran wrap and put it in the fridge, but you say not to wrap it in plastic. Thanks!!

Hi just wanted to say my Dad gardened  all his life.  When it was time he would dig the potatoes and he would store them just inside our opening under the house. When we needed some we would open it and grab a few. Worked really well. Cool and dark.  We didn't have a basement.

Thank you Monica for the tips on onions. I grow them every year because we go through so many. They would last two months or so and start turning. I am definitely going to try this.  

Hi, I love your hint about storing garlic and onions. I am going to use this hint. I have freeze my garlic and just taken the amount out that is needed for the recipe and used it frozen. You can put it thru a garlic press no problem and the taste is not effected by freezing. They are more sticky to handle, but when cooking you will not notice any different in cooking or taste afterward.  I was looking on how to store or preserve bunching onions. As I have a lot in my garden that needs to be pulled and preserved.  I also have frozen onions before also, after dicing them you need to blanch them for a minute and  a half in boiling water then plunged into ice bath water to shut off the cooking time. Then drain from water and dried as much as possible and freeze in double ziploc bags. Need to be doubled bagged as they are very strong in smell.  They last for three to six months in freezer before losing flavor.  Hope this helps.

I was just inspired from your article. This sounds like a good use for plastic or metal coffee cans... just drill some holes in them.

Tubular netting is a good way to store onions, too.
It's the same stuff as they're packaged in at the grocery, but in a long tube.
I put a slip knot in one end, put in an onion, tie with a twist tie, add each onion with twist ties in between. Hang them by the slip knot for storage, and remove the twist ties as you use the onions.
You can use the netting over and over.
It's available for 10-15 cents per foot.

I'm so happy to find you!  This tip on the onions, garlic & shallots is going to save me $.  I like buying Organic fruits & vegetables when they ate reasonably priced or on sale.  But when they end up rotting or molding before I get to use them really frustrates me.  Thanks so much!  Looking forward to reading Everything!!!! :)

Hi I was wondering if you could store cucumbers this way?

Dues it follow that we can store ginger in paper bags too?

Good info

Thank you so very much for the information, very, very helpful. I am just preparing to buy a large quantity of onions, garlic and shallots, for a special reason, and found your instructions simple to follow. Thank you again!

Great great tip- I'm excited to try it out!  Do you think the same method can be used for storing raw ginger?  Mine always goes bad after several weeks left out or stored in the fridge...!

Would a paper grocery bag work also

My granny used to store onions in a crocheted bag. Found a picture of the same type bag in a blog (not my own) http://evekoo.blogspot.fi/2014/05/sipulipussi.html, looks pretty and can be washed and used again and again.

Mothers are good. Everybody should have one.

Hi, I was just curious as to whether I could use white paper lunch bags instead of brown. I know that sounds silly, but I already have them, and rather than going out and buying brown ones when the white ones are just fine, I figured I would ask. Thanks!

I am going to try this today. I don't have space in my kitchen drawers so I will be putting the bags in my pantry. I also store potatoes in there. Is this ok as long as the onions are on a different shelf than the potatoes? I noticed the directions say not to store onions and potatoes together but how far apart do they have to be?

Can I put half an onion in the bag with the whole onions? It is  wrapped in saran wrap

Monica,

Thanks for sharing this for those of us without access to good tribal knowledge. Love this stuff.

Question: Your bags look like they are holding about two onions a piece, is that right? I'm assuming that we should not overload our bags or use larger paper bags because it would prevent the onions from breathing. Does that sound accurate?

Thanks,
Steph

I heard for years that anions, garlic, tomatoes cannot be stored in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, where I live in the tropics, temperatures can be over 80º most of the year. Where can I store them if not in the refrigerator?

Great ideas

I'm asian so we use red onion in every food. To make it last long, peel the papery skin together thin soft layer of the onion. If you see a black powder when you peel, rub it off but don't wash them. The outer soft layer will dry in the following days until it looks like a paper skin again. Those black powder is the cause to make onion spoil faster. Hope it helps!  :)

Seems as if I never had an onion when I needed one but I fixied that.  I buy a small bag of onions and either chop or slice them,  and freeze them.  Since they are used mostly when I'm cooking, I just grab a freezer bag and remove what I need.  One step in the food prep process eliminated.  Do the same with sweet peppers, chives, and green onions.          

garlic can be kept in earthen crock tie its mouth with thin cottan cloth it will prevent it for very long time maybe for a year

One good reason is to do so is to take advantage of special pricing. More than this, the wonderful sweet onions are only available early in the spring. After that, no more than next year. Please remember it is important to respect customs in most countries do not allow fresh produce from other countries.

This has been a huge problem for us! I can't wait to try it...
Thank you and bless your heart for sharing! :) Janlafave

Can you use white paper bags or does it need to be brown.

any tips to store potatoes, carrots, ginger, cabbage, lettuce

Why not just punch holes in the plastic bag you bring them in from the store?

Thank you so much for posting this!  I get so tired of throwing onions and garlic away...especially during the summer,  so I cut back on how many I buy at once and am forever running out because I use a lot of them.  I will try this for sure!

**I think plastic bags would hold too much moisture in and cause rot faster,  regardless if holes were punched in it.

or just use wicker baskets as has been used for centuries

Where did you get the plastic baskets? I've been looking for something similar for over a year and have not found anything.

Thanks for the paper bag trick. Today, it's too expensive to have anything go bad so finding ways to keep food from spoiling is essential.  I saw some posts about ginger. I recently starting using ginger for Asian recipes. I Google'd and most say you can keep it up to 3 weeks in a fridge and 3 months in a freezer. It never mentions uncut ginger which I keep on the counter. Not sure if that's a no no if it'll be there weeks or longer. My daughter told me just to cut off a sliver of the cut end of the refrigerated one to keep using fresh pieces. I also read that if you are using a piece for flavour and not eating it (eg. like a small chunk), it doesn't have to be peeled. I cut the straight parts with a knife and use a carrot peeler for the rest so as not to have much waste. I've never tried it, but heard scraping with the back of a spoon works too...Sue  :)

Thank you

Wow! This punch-holed paper bag method works like a charm! I buy onions, and often potatoes, by the bag rather than individually and have found this storage method to be the best I've ever tried. Thanks much!

Monica can we in paper bags in modular kitchen drawer.   Air circulation is required is it

This is awesome. Thank you! We grow our own onions but have no luck storing them.

I stumbled upon this by accident, while searching for the best way to store organic garlic bulbs. I am so happy I found this!  I've been going to the farmers market recently to get healthier produce, as opposed to purchasing at the grocery store. I've been picking up onions, potatoes, fresh corn, and I happened upon some fresh garlic.  I cannot wait to put this method into use. The only area I have to store certain things out of sunlight, and in a cool area, is a bottom cabinet I have an apartment kitchen. It's a little difficult sometimes, dealing with the humidity on the south eastern shore of Connecticut.  I do have many natural methods to keep the humidity down in the cabinet, things I can put in there that are not chemical-based to soak up the moisture.  But I've had so many times where I bought organic onions, and the rot within days!  It's such a waste of money! But at least not as much as if I bought non-organic at the grocery store. Still, I cannot wait to put this into use.

Growing up I learned a lot about gardening from my grandpi.  Unfortunately, I don't have a seller, the proper areas to hang certain herbs, etc. ( Believe me, when I get out of the state and have a full home of my own, I'm going to implement everything he had.)   So thank you, thank you, thank you!

I know someday not understand the need for these types of things.  There are many reasons some of us to;  some live when we have no choice to do season and availability, some preferred to buy in bulk to save money (or they have to),  or some just prefer to keep the traditions from their families.  I have to save money, and I really like keeping with what I was taught.   It's kind of nostalgic, makes me feel like he still with me.

BTW,  please pardon any spelling or grammar mistakes. Due to my disability I have to use talk to text and we all know algorithms are not perfect. LOL!

What you said sounds great, but I live in Florida, even with the A/C on the temp in the kitchen never gets much below 80.  Keeping my onions, shallots and garlic in the frig is the only option I have.    And FL homes don't have basements.  Any suggestions?  

Great idea Monica!! I'll try it now. And thanks for sharing it. I'm a teacher and way ypu explained everything was so didactic. I loved it. Thanks :)

I don't understand. There was more air circulation when you stored them just in the open baskets in the drawer. So, do you think it was the amount of light (i.e. less light inside the paper bags) that made the difference in longevity?

What's the best way to keep a large onion which you have peeled the outer skin off so it is ready to cut whenever you need some. Now leaving part of thelarge onion with no outer skin.

I have been successful storing carrots for 8 months by layering them with scrunched up newspaper in a plastic grocery bag and then storing them in the fridge.  We grow our own carrots and I have an extra fridge for storing vegetables as I do not have a root cellar or cool room. I change the newspaper and re-layer the carrots every 2 months as the newspaper gets soggy and carrots need to kept dry.  I usually have carrots last until the next crop is ready.  Home grown carrots are truly more delicious!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just had to throw out  over half a bag of Vidallia onion that was less than two weeks old. They were beautiful when I first got them. It really irked me and I and thankful that it was just a 5 lb bag.

I keep approximately 400 pounds of onion in my basement from September until usually April by putting them into mesh sleeves, separating each by nylon small ties and hanging them from the basement floor joists.  I also run a small fan on a low speed to keep the air moving.  I have also heard that panty hose will work as well.  The important part is to make sure the onions are totally dried before you put them in the sleeves.  With garlic, I leave the stems on the garlic, bunch them together in groups of 10 & tie with a nylon tie.  Hanging in the joists, they will usually keep until March or April.

CAN U STORE BOTH POTATOES AND ONIONS SEPARATELY  IN SAME PANTRY FEETS APART

I loved to hear so many of yall doing the old way.   Be sure that your onions are facing up. Put root to the bottom of what ever it is you store in.  I had my onions in panty hose some started to leak. Saw that they were up side down. So root to the bottom.   Love the site.😊

Thank you so much!! I just made a small bag for the two onions from an almost full bag that managed not to sprout. I live alone in a small apartment, so no cool garage and cook for one (when the spirit moves me!). I buy onions by the small bag if price is real good, but don't manage to use all before they start sprouting. Even have hard time using up remainder when I buy a single onion. So I made the bag and set it on a shelf a couple feet away from my sliding balcony door, coolest spot I have this season, but will have to rethink come summer.

What a *great* idea! Thanks much for sharing. I will definitely be writing this down in my gardening journal from Sisterswithasystem.com as a tip to remember this summer when storing onions. Thank you!!

I used part of an onion for a recipe. Suggestions how to store the used onion?

Thank you for sharing this information. This has saved me a lot of money. I now can buy in bulk when on sale and know it won't go bad before I use it. I have shared this with all that will listen.

Monica, Will a lidded cardboard box, like what you'd find (for a decorative project) at a craft store, work just a well?  Do you think the material is the same as a brown paper bag? Thank you, BJ.

ps...I love onions of All kinds and in All ways and I love that this idea, will let me keep more on hand for a longer period of time, Thanks

1)Can I store 5 shallots in the same paper bag as yellow onions or in with the garlic?
2) is it also ok to store the onions in the mesh bags they come in- with all their holes ?

I moved into a house that has a built- in onion storage cabinet with three baskets! What else can I store next to onions, garlic, shallots. I’m reading that it’s not ok to store potatoes even though I see tons of onion/potato storage bins online. I also read that apples will take on an onion taste. Does granny have any ideas?
Thank you