Onions stay fresh for longer when kept away from 1 common vegetable - don't put in fridge

Onions are a kitchen essential, forming the base of countless dishes and adding a burst of flavour to any meal. However, like most vegetables , they can spoil quickly if not stored properly, leading to unnecessary waste and additional trips to the shops. To keep your onions fresh for as long as possible, it’s important to know how to store them correctly.

Sarah Taylor, a food hygiene expert at High Speed Training, shared with Express.co.uk her top tips for prolonging the life of your onions, ensuring they stay in perfect condition until you're ready to use them.



“Onions are a staple of many food dishes and are always useful to have in the house. For this reason, it’s beneficial to keep them for as long as possible to avoid unnecessary extra purchases,” said Sarah. The key to proper onion storage is finding the right environment in the house, even if it’s not in the kitchen.

“Onions are best stored in a dry, dark place and should not be kept in the fridge,” Sarah advised. Keeping them at room temperature helps prevent them from becoming damp, which can lead to mould growth and spoilage. Another important tip is to remove onions from their plastic bags, which is a step many households forego.

“Remove them from their plastic bag to allow the air to circulate around them, and keep them separate from potatoes, as the two together may impact the lifespan of both items,” explained Sarah. Storing onions in a well-ventilated area helps them stay dry, while the proximity of onions to potatoes can cause them both to spoil faster due to the release of gases from each vegetable. If you’ve chopped your onions in advance, they don’t need to go to waste - in fact, you can keep them in the freezer.

“You can also safely store chopped onions. To do this, once chopped, add the onion to a freezer bag,” Sarah recommended. For short-term use, chopped onions can be kept in the fridge, but for longer-term storage, freezing them is a great option.

By following these simple storage tips, you can ensure your onions stay fresh for longer, reduce waste, and save money on unnecessary purchases. Just remember to keep them in a dry, dark place, away from potatoes, and never put them in the fridge..