Onion! What do I do with it?!

[Hollie the Wollie]

I've heard that I need to "hang" the onions I've grown from seed - I've pulled one up (I just couldn't resist), its fairly small, but its still an onion!

Do I hang this somewhere dark now or something?!

[Mrs Dobby]

Basically what you need to do is to allow the onion's outer skin to shed some moisture so that it will harden and allow the onion to store for as long as you want it to!

Ideally (if we were in a hot and dry country) you would just leave them out in the sun for a few days, but in the UK thats not always an option! Stringing up your onions is a good way to stoe them, remove and dirty outer leaves and trim off the roots, them plait the onions together to make a pretty string of them. Alternatively dry them somehwere cool and dry, preferably on racks (we've some old wire mesh racking recycled from Tescos that we use), then when you are happy with them, hang them up in either a perforated sack (you can get special onion net sacks) or in an old pair of tights / stockings!

HTH

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Hollie, as you pulled the onion because you just couldn't resist - then eat it!! (Cheese and onion sandwiche tomorrow! ) There is no need to dry and hang onions that are for using straightaway, it is only necessary for onions that you intend to store.

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oh thanks for the tips! I only have the one Onion so Ive tied a little twine around it and hung it in the shed! I took a quick pic before I did though...

[Lesley Jay]

Originally Posted by Lesley Jay

Hi Hollie, as you pulled the onion because you just couldn't resist - then eat it!! (Cheese and onion sandwiche tomorrow! ) There is no need to dry and hang onions that are for using straightaway, it is only necessary for onions that you intend to store.

Hi Hollie, it's an immature onion - so go on, don't hang it in the shed but instead eat it!!

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oh okie doke! I will do!