Notes From The Onion Patch

I hope that no one finds this too rudimentary to post on this here blog, but I for one am still in the learning phase of all things gardening and suburban farming. Not necessarily because I am new to it, but I guess because it seems there is always more to learn. So for the old timers, this may seem an unnecessary lesson, but I hope someone will find it helpful. 

I had a bumper crop of onions this year. which is a good thing, because I love me some onions! That being said, I find it hard to use them all when they are coming from the ground, and really don't we love storing up for the winter anyway. Onions are made for this. They store well with just a little bit of prep.

First.  How do I know when onions are ready to harvest? Most plants give us some clues as to the optimal harvest time. Onions fall over. Really. The long green part just plops over on the ground. Time to dig them up!

Second. Time to dry the outer skins. This needs to be a nice warm sunny day but not too hot. Let the skins dry for a couple of hours in the sunshine, rotating them at least once. Make sure they have plenty of circulation of air. Old screens can be used to ensure proper circulation. I was being lazy and did not dig out the screens but the gravel provided adequate circulation.

Now the fun part. When the skin is dry and papery but the tops are still soft and pliable, it is time to braid. Just like you would braid hair. Three onions can be braided together or more than three can be combined by adding onions into the first braid as you would with french braiding hair. I just did three at a time. Braiding onions (and garlic too) is an attractive and effective way to store them. Moisture in the layers is what causes onions to mold. By leaving the tops in tact while the onion cures, we ensure that no mold forms down in the layers of onion.

Using a bit of twine to tie up the end of the braid keeps everything tight. The braids can be gathered together to form several bundles.

Lastly, it is time to "cure" those bundles. This should be a warm, dry place out of the direct sun and with good ventilation. I used the potting shed.
The curing process takes about two weeks and the tops will be completely dry. Your onions are now ready for storage. They can be stored in the braids or cut from the tops and stored in a root cellar or the like. Mesh sacks keep onions well, but so do pantyhose. Yep, that is right. Just drop an onion in the toe of a stocking and tie a knot on top. Add the next onion, tie a knot...etc. Each time you need an onion just snip it off and away you go.

Leslie is a self-proclaimed simple minded girl; raising 4 kids along side veggies and chickens all with the help of one entirely Hunky Hubby and blogging about it over at NatureGirl for no good reason.