Onion Curing Time

[vfem]

Well, its not as dry as I would have liked it to be. I think 1 more week would have been perfect, but the onions were literally coming out of the ground flopping over like they were. Not all of them were, but more then 80% and more then 30% of their leaves were already browning. So everyone out at once, because I wasn't doing this twice!

I have less the 20% of the garlic ready, so that I will wait on. I just pulled 1 to see how they were doing. So garlic is saved for at LEAST next week, maybe the week of birthday. We'll let the weather decide.

Now as you can see, the weird thing is some of my onions (a partially shaded bed where I squished them between other plants) didn't get bigger then a 1/2 dollar! But they are round, they are bulbed... and they all flopped over. So I'm going to cure those too and treat them as shallots.

It looked like it was a better harvest then it was, but several had to go into the house as spring onions because they did not bulb and were flopped, and done growing. They'll be fine in the fridge and perfect to use while I'm waiting for the onions to cure properly.

I thought about braiding, but like last year... it was super easy to clip tops and tails and just place on screen on the front porch to cure. They did so well, and took up little room.

I love the garlic & onion harvesting time So glad I get these in the ground in October.

 

[digitS']

It seems strange to think about harvesting onions, V.

Most of my onion beds still have tiny little plants that are just now starting to look like something. Meanwhile, the shallots are growing better than the onion plants from Texas . . !

Those Texan plants are just gathering their strength, is all .

DW decided she should harvest green shallots the other day. What!?! Those shallots are much too valuable to use green!! (They were good in an omelet, however .)

I used to hang my onions on the back fence ~ after the idiot neighbor moved away. The guy liked to back his pickup up to and into the fence on a regular basis! I think he was treating himself for snakebite on the way home from work, most days .

Then I got to know the new neighbor, nice guy (replaced the fence). Now, onions end up on my soil-sifting screen, much as you are doing there .

Steve

 

[vfem]

I can't hang them in direct light for the front porch faces north and its my only option. Its a great location as I learned last year... though my visitors are welcomed to my home with the perfumed scent of onion and garlic as they go to ring the door bell.


You'll have to excuse the warped screen, that's what happens when you get free stuff. Oh well... it works!!!

 

[skeeter9]

Those look great to me, Vfem! I tried garlic last year and it didn't go so well, so I would be thrilled with a harvest like that. Nice job!

 

[pebbles]

How long do you cure onions?

 

[vfem]

How long do you cure onions?

Usually 3 weeks or more, more with high humidity or moist raining conditions persist.

 

[digitS']

I think that's about right for me, also, - low humidity and all.

They are around in the backyard over 2 weeks, for sure.

I should say that when I hung them on the fence, it was the northside of the fence. Cooking them on a fence in direct sunshine would not be good.

Steve

 

[Greenthumb18]

Wow you already harvested the onions, vfem!
They look great .

What I did last year with my onion harvest I tied them into a nice braid, it was my first time doing it. If you want to braid them you should do it before you cure the onions, after their braided then you could let them cure hung up. But it's pretty much the same as braiding hair for example. Then you could hang it in the garage like I did or maybe in a cellar type of room.

Enjoy!

 

[journey11]

It seems strange to think about harvesting onions, V.

I know, me too. Mine are just now getting down to business.

Those are some nice big ones!

Vfem, do you usually clip your tops? I leave mine on while they dry.

 

[digitS']

Getting there . . . but not soon:

Sweet onions close, the end of the bed of bunching onions there across the path. It think the volunteer sunflower will have to go but the volunteer dill is welcome .

How do you like my "stone mulch," V?

Steve