Onions come in all shapes and sizes but the hardest ones to store are those that are large and white, brown, or red.
Despite being quite a tough root vegetable, the watery core can turn bruised and mushy with improper storage, even in the coolest, darkest kitchen cupboard.
While most onions will keep for a whopping three months on average, there’s one storage method that can keep them fresh for much longer.
And it doesn’t involve expensive containers or fancy contraptions, but something much more simple.
According to an expert at the Tasting Table, a clean pair of tights is all that’s needed to preserve large onions for a long time.
Though it’s tempting to follow traditional methods of keeping onions in boxes or plastic bags, breathable tights are much more effective.
Whether they’re a new pair purchased specifically for this storage hack or an old pair that is no longer worn, the most important thing to ensure is that they’re clean.
The Tasting Table expert explained: “It turns out that pantyhose isn’t just good for keeping your legs covered – they also make excellent onion wrappers.
“Why? Onions need to breathe to last a long time. They absorb moisture more readily than other items.”
That’s exactly why they don’t do as well as other vegetables in airtight containers or zip-lock bags, as there’s no free air circulation.
The National Onion Association even warns against keeping the pungent root vegetable in plastic bags purely for this reason.
But tights, with their tiny holes, allow plenty of ventilation to keep the onions “nice and dry”, according to the Tasting Table expert.
And there’s more than one way to use them to keep onions neatly stowed away.
How to store onions in tights
One method is to cut the top of the leg off a pair of tights to create one tube-like sack, then fill the tip of the foot with a few onions. Then, tie the top opening up tightly to seal it off, and only open it as and when you need to use an onion.
The sack can be stored in a cool, dry place in the kitchen, away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
Alternatively, larger quantities can be stored in their own separate pockets of tights by filling the leg up with one, then making a knot and stacking them up as you go, with a small gap secure by a knot to separate each one. Work your way through the onions one at a time until the tights are empty.
No matter which method is used, the most important step is to rinse and dry the onions thoroughly before storing them to ward off any lingering dirt or moisture.
