Onions are one of the most versatile cooking ingredients that you can get, and they are used for a wide variety of dishes, which is why it is always handy to have some in your kitchen for when you need them.
Lots of different recipes can be improved with a little bit of onion, or a lot if you love the flavor, and they come in lots of different varieties. There are different types of onions that can be great for different things, and there is no end to their list of uses.
When you have cut up an onion for use, you might not need to use the entire thing, and to avoid wasting the rest of the onion that you don’t need, you might be wondering how you can store it so that you can use it at a later date.
Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to store your cut onion, and the process is really easy and straightforward. In this article, we are going to tell you exactly how you can store your cut-up onion so that you can use it later when you need to.
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How to Store a Cut Onion
While the normal storage process for onions is to keep them in a cool dark place and out of the refrigerator, the process for storing cut onions is a little bit different.
We are going to explain exactly how you can store your cut onions to keep them fresh and prevent them from going bad.
Storing Raw Cut Onion
For any onions that have been cut up into pieces, you will be able to store them in the refrigerator for up to ten days as long as you do so correctly. To do this, you are going to need either plastic wrap or a resealable bag.
All you need to do is to take your cut onions and wrap them up tightly and securely in plastic wrap or throw them into a resealable bag.
The best method for lots of diced onions is to use a bag, and it is much easier to do so and it will be easier to get them out without making a mess.
If you are using a resealable bag, then you should make sure that you push all of the excess air out of the bag before you seal it, as this will help to keep the onions from drying up over the time that they are being stored for.
Once your leftover onions have been properly sealed, you can go ahead and put them in the refrigerator for storage.
If you are cutting up your onions to save time on preparation for meals, then you can also buy pre-cut onions from the grocery store, and these will keep for the same amount of time, with half the amount of effort.
As long as you keep them refrigerated, you can use them at any point, as long as it is within their expiration date. This makes it much easier to tell when they are going to go out of date.
Another way of storing your cut onions is to follow the same method, but store them in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. This will help to keep them fresher for longer, and they will last anywhere from 3 to 6 months when they have been frozen.
Storing Cooked Cut Onion
For any onion that has been cut up and cooked, but you still have leftovers, you can store them in the same way as you would raw onions, in the refrigerator.
However, you will need to make sure that the cut onions have completely cooled down before you put them in the refrigerator, as you would with any other food.
Try to avoid leaving them at room temperature for any longer than necessary, and store them in the refrigerator as soon as they have cooled down. This will help to avoid the spread of bacteria.
Is It Safe to Store Cut Onions in the Refrigerator?
There is a reason for everything that we do when it comes to storing food, and onions are no exception to this. There have been some rumors in the past that you shouldn’t store onions in the refrigerator due to bacteria growth, but this is simply not true.
Bacteria are not going to just appear in your onions overnight, and it has to be present already to spread. This bacteria can come from your hands or the surface that you are using for cutting up the onion, but it is not already there.
To avoid the spreading of bacteria, you should always clean your hands properly before preparing any food and make sure that the surface you are cutting on is clean. If you follow these steps, then you are fine to go on to store your onions in the refrigerator.
While there is like going to be germs inside of your refrigerator, the majority of them can’t actually spread or multiply due to the low temperatures inside.
However, if you were to cut up an onion and leave it at room temperature, it would inevitably lead to a spread of bacteria and would spoil pretty quickly.
So, to answer this question, yes, storing your cut onion in the refrigerator is totally safe, and is actually the safest way to store it.
How to Tell if Your Onions Have Gone Bad
If you have stored your onions correctly, it is unlikely that they will go bad within a short amount of time, as long as they are still in date.
There are some ways to tell if your onions have spoiled, and if you see any of the signs that we are going to mention below, then you should throw away your leftovers immediately.
Any change in color is one of the best ways to tell if your onions have gone bad, and you should keep an eye out for any grey, black, or brown spots. Additionally, fuzzy growth should be taken as a bad sign, as this is likely to be mold.