how to cure onions

[bj taylor]

my onion crop is finishing. when the bend over, I pull them up & lay them on a screen in the shade to cure. I think i'm supposed to cut the roots & tops off after a few days, then let them cure. that is a pretty vague process. how do I know when they're cured?

 

[Smart Red]

I'm not sure. I braid mine and hang them to dry. Then I just cut onions as needed off the braid. I do the same with garlic braids.

I have never cut the roots. They just seem to dry out on their own.

 

[thistlebloom]

I've only done it once, but I didn't cut my roots either, and I left the tops on until they were shriveled and paper dry.

 

[vfem]

I lay mine in the sun for a full day to really get them drying. I then cut off the root and the top and place them on a screen where it is shady and they stay dry. Takes about 3 weeks will low humidity and 5 weeks if its been raining on and off or high humidity. I do the same for garlic.

 

[digitS']

I do just about what V does but don't worry about cutting roots.

They stay on the small board deck outside the greenhouse door. That location only gets about an hour of late afternoon sun each day. If there is a chance that they will get wet, I move them for awhile and then put them back there.

At some point, I will give them a good rubbing over the compost bucket with my gloves on so as to remove any soil. The roots come off then.

Three weeks? Often, they are there that long. I used to hang them on the northside of a board fence but with a rebuilt & larger greenhouse step, that's the better location for them now.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

I do not cut anything. I lay them in the sun. Use the thick stemmed onions first as they will not keep as long.