STORING ONIONS
Michigan State University Extension 
Preserving Food Safely - 01600008 
08/03/99 


Harvest onion family crops when the tops have died or in 
the late fall before the ground freezes. Allow the plants 
to dry for several weeks before storage. Spread them out on 
on an open screen off the ground. 

Do not try to store bruised or thick-necked bulbs. Storage 
should be in a dry, well-ventilated area with a temperature 
near 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the bulbs in mesh bags, 
fill bags half full, and hang them from overhead hooks in 
the storage area or place them in open slatted crates, 
half full, and stack crates on cross bars. 

Slight freezing will not be harmful if the bulbs are not 
handled while they are frozen. When stored properly, the 
onion family bulbs should keep through the winter. 


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