Preparing Onions for Storage

This may not be the right way, but its the way I do it



I strip off the loose outer skin first, that way I can spot any damage or molds that would lead to rotting in store.

I then spread them to dry well.



These ones have patches of mold & won't keep, so they are going straight up to the kitchen, along with any bolted ones for use straight away.



When the surfaces are dry, I spread them out on slatted shelves under cover, so the air can get all round them.

I'll come back to this in a few weeks when the tops have dried back

 

I don`t mean to teach granny how to suck eggs, but I reckon you`ve pulled them about 6 weeks too early.

 

I think I have to agree with Dai on this Ziggy.

Why have you lifted them so early?

The tops still have good growth, I reckon they could yet double in size if left another month or so.

I see you've found a use for that dead patch of grass.

 

Those were the ones which the stems had collapsed, more in the way of thinnings than a harvest.

The bigger ones are still in the ground & the ones destined for showing are staked with bamboo poles to stop the relentless winds bashing them about.

 

I still think you should have left em Ziggy.

 

I've heard of thinning, does that help ?

 

Do you have to especially burn a section of grass to lay them on :-)


Jack McH

 

Strangely, Pete and I are in accord on this one, they were pulled much too early. Just because the foliage fell over doesn`t mean the plants were done. Ok, any that were bolting, rip out and use, but the others, leave alone.

 

Never known you and Pete to agree on things before

Now they are thinned, it'll give the others a chance to get away. Don't want to waste time & space, it's my first veg show this year

Getting nervous already

 

It is recomended by most insane gardeners

 

lmao, I was gonna extract some urine outta the burnt grass, but i can see I'm not needed on that but nice onions ziggy

but i will be asking how to fork n leave in the ground to ripen at a later date, I've got about 50 plants that are getting there, if anyone wants to say before I spam yet more lol

Plant Potty.

 

This will be a record, so you,peat and dai never thin your onions

 

what is the gap? I planted 50 offsets from poundland, but I later snuck beetroot between them:o I've got a patch of picklin onions coming on, they WILL need thining coz it was 550 seed in a small area, I planted out another 30 odds plants grown from seed, they are at (about) 4 inch gap

Plant Potty.

 

Mine said to use a 4 inch gap, but with some of them blubbing up to 4 inches I didn't think that was enough.