onion cure and storage questions
 

Another first time, grew a few bulb onions and figuring out what to do with my harvest.
I started the seed in early March but didn't have a bed to plant them in until mid June, so the results are for my obvious faults, and indeed I'm surprised and happy to have ANY onions that bulbed properly and made a small neck.

I brought these indoors yesterday instead of my cold porch because I read that onions cure better given temps 70F or above for the first 12-24 hours. I figure to give them a couple of days in the house before moving to the colder storage area. I was hoping to braid them at that point because hanging is the only answer to storage dilemma. I don't have enough for the winter but would like them to keep until Christmas anyway. If I should keep them indoors longer or wait until dried to braid, please advise.

The second question is about my harvest of onions that didn't have time to make a thinner neck.
I read that they won't store for long, then the question is, do I start the curing process with them at all or just put them in cold storage for immediate use?:?!?:
I wondered, if I braided them green as they are and hang them up will it help them to keep until they're used up? Especially since half of them are going to my mom, her storage is not as cold unless she keeps them in the fridge.
I have a big pile of scallions for us to use as well, that didn't bulb at all.

So here are two pics, my best necks first mostly Borretana and a few Mammoth Improved. Second pic mostly Mammoths, it's a lot of onion even though the necks are big...

I never harvest mine until the leaves are falling over and then I store them in a carport until the leaves are all dried up. The necks seal themselves shut and then I cut off the leaves and store the onions in baskets. Many people like to braid onions and that works well too.

However mine are much bigger bulbs that yours. My seed onions were planted in the garden in April. If you store them too green then they will rot so I would not be in a rush to store them. I cure mine for a couple of weeks outside in August.

You can always cut some up and freeze flat in Zip Loc bags for longer storage. I do this with any that are damaged or have questionable spots and would be likely to rot in storage.

Thanks, brownrexx, and roger that. I'll keep the storage onions indoors for a few weeks instead of cold storage. :yes: It's certainly different for us here, where onions are harvested in September or October and already pretty cold and even some frosty nights. Indoors it'll have to be.8-)

[QUOTE=brownrexx;593896]
You can always cut some up and freeze flat in Zip Loc bags for longer storage. I do this with any that are damaged or have questionable spots and would be likely to rot in storage.[/QUOTE]

What is the texture of the onions like after freezing? Mushy? I did the last of my leeks that way last spring and it worked well. They were a bit limp but ok for cooking.

I didn't really notice any mushiness but I just take out a handful and use them immediately in cooking. Maybe they would be mushy if I let them thaw first but I never have.

Well the fresh ones are great... made soup tonight it was deelicious.
Gave a bunch of the neckless to my mom to use up fresh as well.

I don't have room for onions in the freezer. The small ones I can't use fresh I intend to make pickles with a few stray peppers. It's very handy to have when guests drop by, makes a cheese tray into something special. :)