Top tips: how to properly dry onions after harvesting from the garden

Onions are a healthy vegetable that is eaten fresh, fried, pickled, stuffed or baked, added to the first and second courses, and is widely used in folk medicine. It is not surprising that this crop is grown in almost every vegetable garden.

However, it is not enough to grow a turnip. To keep the onion for a long time and not spoil, it is important to properly dry it after harvest. In the material, we will talk about how to properly dry onions after harvesting from the garden.

Timing and cleaning technology

Only the onion that was removed for storage on time is stored for a long time... If you dig it up early, the too thick and juicy neck of the bulb will dry for a long time, which will increase the risk of rot and fungal diseases.

If tightened with harvesting, the bulbs will overripe and the upper scales will crack.... This in turn will lead to rapid deterioration of the product during storage. Overripe onions develop a secondary root system, which impairs the taste of the turnip.

When to dig it out? The turnip is removed from the beds after the feathers wilted. If 60-80% of the leaves have died, it's time to start harvesting. On average, this time falls on the second half or end of August.

Need to know! The bow is removed after the feather has lodged. At this time, the growth of the heads stops, and the maximum amount of nutrients accumulates in them.

Another sign of a ripe vegetable - formed integumentary leaves that have acquired a characteristic color for the variety.

Harvested on time is the key to successful storage... If you start harvesting the onions earlier, when the feather has not yet died, the neck of the bulb will be too thick and juicy - this increases the risk of bulb rot.

Useful advice... If the time for harvesting has already come, and the feather has not yet died, then the ripening of the bulbs can be accelerated. To do this, it is enough to cut the roots with a sharp shovel at a depth of about 5 cm. This will reduce plant nutrition and accelerate ripening.

Harvest

Digging is carried out in dry, sunny weather... It is desirable that there is no rain for 1-2 weeks before the harvest. Then the earth will dry out and the assembled heads will not have to dry for a long time.

If the soil is light and loose, the onion is simply pulled out of the ground. But if the soil is dense and heavy, the bulbs are dug up. Otherwise, most of the pulled out heads will remain without bottoms and rot in a few weeks.

It is more convenient to dig out crops with small forks... They are stuck in the aisles at a short distance from the bulbs and the layer of earth is slightly raised.

To onions after harvest was kept for several months, before storing it is dried.

Influence of grade on harvesting time and keeping quality

Depending on the variety and growing conditions, the growing season of onions lasts on average 65 to 85 days. The early varieties ripen by the end of July, and the later ones are ready for harvesting in late August - early September.

Attention! Only late and spicy varieties are suitable for winter storage. The rest of the varieties are used for harvesting or eaten immediately after collection.

Leeks are dug after the turnip... Harvesting begins in mid-September - early October (the grown leek is not afraid of the first frost).To make the onion whiter, 10-14 days before removing from the garden, the lower part of the plants is sprinkled with earth or covered with an opaque material. After digging, the roots and leaves are cut off.

Shallots are harvested from late July to mid-August... As in the case of the turnip, delaying the harvest time leads to the germination of the bulbs and the appearance of new roots. Shallot nests are dug, divided into bulbs and dried.

Features of drying onions

The onion is dug up, cleaned of clods of earth, the roots and feathers are cut... Before laying the heads for winter storage, the onions are dried.

Need to know! Drying the onions after harvesting reduces the risk of fungal diseases and spoilage of the vegetable during storage.

How to dry onions from the garden? Let's talk about the features of each type of drying.

Onion

There are several ways to dry onions... The simplest and most affordable is drying in the sun right in the garden. If the weather permits, the dug vegetables are laid out in one layer and dried in the sun, periodically turning over. After 3-4 days, the bulbs are ready for storage.

If the weather is rainy, then the heads are transferred to a ventilated room. (under a canopy, in the attic, etc.). Onions are laid out in one layer on the flooring or poured into nets and hung vertically on a rope.

You can braid the onions into bunches or braids and dry as they are. Indoor drying takes one to two weeks depending on temperature and humidity.

The fastest drying method is in the oven... The onions are laid out on a baking sheet in one layer and placed in an oven preheated to + 30 ... + 35 ° С. In this case, the oven is periodically turned off so as not to overdry the heads. Overdried onions with cracked opaque scales will not last long.

Sevok

Onion sets are also dried after harvest.... The bulbs are laid out in a thin layer on a thick cloth or flooring and placed in the sun. The heads are periodically turned over. In the open air, the seedlings are dried for at least three days.

During the rainy season, the sets are dried under a canopy. or in a well-ventilated area. Drying takes 1-2 weeks.

Nigella

Nigella is a black onion seed. They are also dried to avoid spoilage during storage. Drying of seeds is carried out in 3 stages:

1. During the first 5-7 days, nigella is kept in a room with good ventilation at a temperature of + 20 ° C.
2. Then the temperature in the room is raised to + 30 ° C and dried for another week.
3. At the final stage, the air temperature is raised to + 35 ° C and the seeds are dried for another week.

The dried nigella is poured into a linen bag or paper bag and put away in a dry place.

Ways to dry onions for the winter

If there is no suitable storage space for fresh onions, then the vegetable can be dried.... In this case, from 1 kg of fresh product, about 100 g of dried product will be obtained. Before drying, the onions are washed, peeled from the upper scales and cut into cubes or rings.

Consider several available ways to make healthy seasoning.

In the oven

Oven suitable for drying onions, leeks and green onions.

Vegetables are washed, peeled and cut into cubes or rings before drying. Then the pieces are laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven preheated to + 40 ... + 50 ° С. Higher temperatures dry onions faster but may burn.

The pieces are dried for about 2-3 hoursstirring occasionally.

In the microwave

To dry onions in the microwave put the cut pieces on a paper napkin, cover with a second napkin and put in the oven for 3 minutes... If this was not enough, the time is increased.

Microwave suitable for drying vegetables in small quantities, however, this method is not suitable for harvesting a large amount of seasoning - too much time, effort and electricity will be spent.

In the airfryer

In the airfryer drying takes place due to the flow of hot air... The heated air constantly circulates inside the grill and dries the onion rings evenly.Harvesting dried vegetables with the help of this modern device retains a beautiful appearance, pleasant taste and useful substances.

Grilling at about + 70 ° C takes about an hour... It is better to keep the lid ajar.

In an electric dryer

Electric dryer fits for drying chopped green onions and pieces of onion.

Green onions are cut and placed in a drying tray... The turnip is cut into pieces and pre-blanched in boiling water for two minutes. Before placing in the dryer, the pieces are cooled in cool water and spread in a thin layer on trays.

Onions in the electric dryer dried at a temperature of + 65 ... + 70 ° С... The pallets are interchanged several times for even drying.

Outdoors

If there are no special devices, then onion rings can be dried in the open air.... To do this, the chopped vegetables are laid out on grates and placed in a shaded, well-ventilated place.

To protect against insects, the grates are covered with gauze... So the vegetables are dried for several days, stirring daily.

How to determine readiness

Dry onions for the winter at home you can use any of the above methods.In a dried form, the vegetable retains its bactericidal effect and useful substances.

How do you know the seasoning is properly dried? Well-dried onion rings become brittle and crunchy. The color of the pieces is light yellow. The seasoning tastes mild, with a spicy aroma.

Signs of poorly dried onions

Poorly dried seasoning will go bad quickly, therefore, when preparing a dried vegetable, it is important to thoroughly dry all the slices. Insufficiently dried pieces are distinguished by their white color and preserved spicy taste. Underdried onions are moist to the touch and do not crunch when pressed.

Storage rules

It is important to know about the nuances of keeping a vegetable fresh and dried.

Storing dried onions

The dried seasoning is stored in containers with lids.... Perforated air caps are preferred. If there is no special lid, use parchment paper or thick cloth, fixing it on the neck of the glass container.

Also suitable for storage are linen bags and paper bags.... It is important that they do not get wet during storage.

Storing fresh onions

It is convenient to store dried onions from the garden in boxes or cardboard boxes... A little vegetables are poured into each box, in one layer 25-30 cm. Holes are made in the side walls of the box for air access.

Also for storing bulbs use linen bags, place them in a dry, ventilated place.

Another time-tested storage method is braiding the heads into braids.... Braided chains are not only well ventilated (and therefore less prone to rotting), but they can also decorate the kitchen.

It is better to store onions at temperatures from 0 to 5 ° C... However, the heads will remain at room temperature for 1-2 months.

Leek stored in a cellar or basement, sprinkled with sand.

Storage period

The dried vegetable is stored in a dark, dry place without foreign odors.... Dried seasoning has a shelf life of about one year.

Dried bulbs from the garden should be firm to the touch and have several dry, dense integumentary scales. The neck of each head should be tightly closed (there are no voids and juicy leaves on the cut).

If the storage conditions are observed (temperature from 0 to 5 ° C and humidity 50-60%), healthy dried heads are stored for several months.

Common problems with drying and storage

If the summer is cold and rainy, the onion ripens longer.... In this case, ripening can be accelerated by cutting the roots or shoveling the soil off the bulbs.

Choose a dry, sunny day for harvesting - onions extracted from moist soil will require a long drying time and are less well stored.

If you have to dig up an onion with a green, fresh feather, then the greens are not cut off immediately... The bulbs are dried under a canopy for another week, and then the dried feathers are cut off.

After the vegetable is placed for storage, it is periodically examined. Instances showing signs of rot or pest damage are removed.

Conclusion

Now you know how to properly and efficiently dry onions at home. Do not underestimate the importance of the drying process. Storing insufficiently dried heads will lead to the development of fungal diseases and rotting of the product.

You can also prepare a healthy vegetable for the winter in a dried form. At the same time, it will not lose its beneficial properties.