Many of bulbs were peaking through the soil promising a good harvest. I was anxious to fill the onion bed with my follow on melon crop. The melon seedlings were ready to go, so as soon as the onions gave me the sign, I yanked them out.
I was totally amazed that my onions did not flower this year. We had late freezes in the area which can trigger flowering. Flowering onions put all their energy into producing seeds and as a result have smaller bulbs. This year's harvest looks pretty good.
I like to lay out my onions to cure for about 2 weeks. The tops should be allowed to fully dry before final processing.
To prepare for storage, I cut off the dried tops and trim the roots. I gently rub the onion to remove the loose and dirty outer skins.
When the onions are ready for storage, panty hose do the job nicely. I fill the legs with onions and hang them in the pantry closet. When I'm ready to use them, I can nip the hose with my scissors and re-tie the toe till next time.
I love the feeling of knowing I won't have to buy onions for many months to come!
Great idea for storing. Now if only I had some panty hose. I used up all mine to make ties for tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI have somehow amassed quite a cache of old panty hose. I haven't worn them in years. Hopefully, my stash will hold up for many years to come.
DeleteBrings back memories Ally. We always ahd a huge garden when I was a kid. We dried and cleaned the onions exactly as you do. We hung ours in panty hose but we tied the knots between every onion. I can't remember why but Mom didn't want any onins touching. It also made cutting one off real easy as well. It took more hose but with two sisters there was always plenty.
ReplyDeleteThe knotting method is the best. When you cut the onion loose, you don't have to re-tie the hose. It's so much easier. Your Mom definitely knew what she was doing.
DeleteLooks like a nice crop. I harvested mine last weekend. When my onions and garlic start producing a flower, I always pinch off the flower. I am not sure how much it helps.
ReplyDelete