Produce is the onion family are very popular items at my Western New York farmers market stand.
Every week, throughout the season I bring with me at least 1 variety from this family.
Although they are each typically interchangeable in recipes for one another, there is significant difference in how each variety is stored when you bring it home.
So let’s dive in — what’s the difference between a cured, fresh, or scallion onion?
Cured Onions
Cured Onions are the type of onion you’re likely the most familiar with – the ones with the papery skin on them that can be found at the grocery store in see through orange mesh plastic bags.
Cured onions are meant to be stored in your home for a (more) significant length of time.
Depending on the variety, this length of time could be 2 – 6 months.
I personally prefer to refer to these as storage onions, because that’s their role – to be stored for a longer length of time in your home than most other produce items.
“Cured” means it’s gone through a drying process after being harvested, so that you can store it for a longer time in your home – WITHOUT REFRIGERATION.
Usually curing means leaving the onions to dry in a rain-free, sunny location for 1-2 weeks.
On my farm, after I harvest the storage onion varieties (New York Early Onion & Rossa di Milano), I bring them to my hoop house that I use in the spring for seedlings.
After 2-3 weeks their green tops shrivel, the papery skin forms, they’re sealed, and ready to store for a a few months.
Other vegetables that are “cured” include garlic and winter squash – again, produce that you can store in your home without refrigeration.
To store cured onions, it’s best to keep them in a cool (about 50F room) that is dry.
Although they seem to go together, onions are best stored away from garlic and potatoes.
As produce is stored, they emit gases and the ones that are emitted by garlic and potatoes can make the onions spoil faster than expected.
Fresh Onions
Fresh onions or spring onions are onions that are harvested & brought immediately to the farmers market.
(When I say “immediately” I mean within 24-48 hours)
Fresh onions have not been set out to dry like the cured/storage onions.
Instead, immediately after being harvested I bring these onion varieties (Ailsa Craig) to the walk-in cooler until market.
Sometimes I bring these onions to the market with a rubber band bunching their bright green, scallion-like tops together.
(these tops are edible too)
As the season progresses, the tops start to get floppy and I end up bringing these bulbs to the farmers market in bags.
Fresh onions must be stored in your refrigerator, crisper drawer preferred.
They can last a decent time in your crisper drawer – anywhere up to 4 weeks.
Because they have not been cured, leaving them out on your kitchen counter is a recipe for disaster & disappointment.
Scallions or Green Onions
Another variety that is considered “fresh” (not cured) & must be stored in the refrigerator is the scallion or green onion.
Although the names scallion & green onion are used interchangeably, they are actually different varieties in the allium family.
On my farm, I grow scallions – an onion-family variety where you can use the white tipped end and the entire green stem.
Whether it’s a scallion or green onion, these must be stored in your refrigerator.
As soon as I harvest scallions, they’re put in my walk-in cooler until later that afternoon on harvest day.
Then I take a hose & blast the white ends & roots clear of (most) of the dirt.
Curious about other unique, pesticide-free veggies that I grow on my farm? Keep reading…
Schul Farmstead 