This is the best way to store leftover onion
Your recipe says you only need half an onion. Sob! What do you do with the other half? Throwing it away is like giving the food industry the finger. So we’re not doing that. What’s the best way to store leftover onion?
French onion tart, a classic French onion soup or even onion tea: it doesn’t matter what you made, you have onions left over. There are two different ways to store onions. You can put them in the fridge or in the freezer. Both methods require a different approach, and both also affect how long your leftover onion will keep.
Storing leftover onions in the fridge
You should never put a cut onion uncovered in the fridge. It needs protection, otherwise it will dry out. The best way to store an onion cut in half is in a ziplock bag. You know, one of those plastic bags you can seal with a zipper. These bags are airtight and also prevent onion odor from spreading through your fridge. Plastic containers that seal tightly work too. We’re just bigger fans of ziplock bags because they take up less space in your fridge. If you store your onion this way in the fridge, it will keep for up to two weeks.
Keep in mind that you should always heat a cut onion stored in the fridge. So don’t add the leftover onion raw to a salad or anything like that. It won’t be as tasty or healthy anymore.
Storing leftover onions in the freezer
Storing a whole onion in your freezer doesn’t work very well. You’re freezing a larger surface area, which causes the onion to lose its texture. That makes the onion limp and watery. The larger surface area also makes it difficult to freeze the onion evenly. The solution? Always freeze leftover onion after cutting it. Chop the onion before putting it in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Some chefs blanch onions before putting them in the freezer. This is said to improve the onion’s shelf life and flavor. Opinions are divided on this. In any case, it won’t do your frozen onion any harm, so feel free to try it. In that case, briefly place the onion in boiling water (for no more than 3 minutes) and then immediately transfer it to ice water. Pat the onion dry and put it in the freezer. Whether blanched or not, your onion will keep for up to 8 months in the freezer.
Extra tip: make pickled onions
A more fun way to preserve leftover onion: turn it into pickles! This gives your onion a deliciously fresh tang. Pickled onions can be added to countless dishes, from topping your burger to adding them to nasi goreng. Plus, they’re easy and fun to make. A preserving jar filled with pickled onions on your countertop is totally on trend.
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