Potatoes and onions - hardly anything works in the kitchen without these two types of vegetables. They can always be found in the pantry, often lying side by side in harmony. But is it really such a good neighborhood? Unfortunately, no. Read here why this is so.

Onions and potatoes should not be stored together

Potatoes and onions: stockpiling is a must!

Potatoes and onions are among the ingredients that we always want to have on hand in the kitchen. In addition, cheap offers tempt you to make regular bulk purchases.

Since only part of the tubers or bulbs is used, the rest must be stored well until everything is used up.

The storage conditions are similar

Both potatoes and onions have similar requirements for the optimal storage location:

  • the darker the better
  • cool, below 10 degrees
  • and dry

Onions prefer a slightly cooler storage location than potatoes, but this difference is not that serious. They also handle light better than potatoes.

Potatoes sprout faster next to onions

The storage conditions are not the criterion why these two types of vegetables should not be stored together. The reason is that potatoes sprout and shrink faster next to onions. As a result, they are no longer fresh and unsuitable for cooking.

Onions rot faster next to potatoes

When onions are stored next to potatoes, more of them end up in the bin than in the cooking pot. Onions get a lot of moisture inside from the neighboring potatoes and start to rot. This rapidly reduces their shelf life.

Brief encounters are acceptable

As an exception, you can store potatoes and onions together if the following conditions are met:

  • the storage time is very short
  • only one storage space is available

tips

If you have no other option than to store both types of vegetables together, you should buy the smallest possible quantities of them. In this way, the loss due to spoilage is limited.

The following applies to both types of vegetables: do not store in the refrigerator

Onions and potatoes don't like the humid environment in the fridge at all. There are only two exceptions to this:

  • fresh spring onions must go in the vegetable drawer
  • a sliced onion for a few days

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden