How do you store homegrown onions and garlic so they keep for months?

Onions and garlic are among the most rewarding crops to store because, when properly prepared, they keep for six months or longer without any processing, freezing, or special equipment. The secret is curing — a process of slow, thorough drying that toughens the outer skins, seals the neck of the bulb, and prepares the vegetable for long-term storage in ambient conditions. Skipping or rushing the curing step is the single most common reason homegrown onions and garlic rot in storage.

How to cure onions

Harvest onions when the foliage has fallen over naturally and begun to yellow and dry — usually in mid to late summer. Lift them with a fork on a dry day and lay them on the soil surface in the sun for a few days if weather permits. The goal is to dry the outer skins and begin drying the neck. Then move them to a warm, dry, airy place — a greenhouse, polytunnel, or shed with good ventilation — spread in a single layer on wire mesh or slatted trays so air circulates underneath and above each bulb. Leave them for three to four weeks until the outer skins are papery and rustling, the necks are completely dry and tight, and the roots are shrivelled and dry.

Do not rush this stage. An onion that looks ready on the outside may still have a moist neck — press the neck firmly; it should be completely dry and stiff, with no softness at all. Any bulb with a soft or thick green neck should be set aside and used first rather than put into long-term storage.

How to cure garlic

Garlic is harvested when the lower leaves have dried but three or four green leaves remain — this tells you the bulb is mature but the wrapper leaves protecting the cloves are still intact. Lift carefully to avoid bruising the bulb. Brush off loose soil. Tie garlic in loose bunches of five to ten bulbs and hang them in a warm, dry, well-ventilated space out of direct rain. Cure for three to four weeks until the wrapper leaves are papery and the stem is completely dry. Hardneck garlic stores for four to six months; softneck stores for six to twelve months under good conditions.

Storage conditions for both

Onions and garlic both need cool, dry, well-ventilated storage. Ideal temperature is 0–10°C with low humidity — the opposite of what root vegetables need. A cool shed, a garage with ventilation, or a cool room in the house all work. Avoid anywhere damp — kitchens and bathrooms cause onions to sprout; anywhere too warm speeds softening and sprouting. Never store in sealed bags or plastic — both need airflow. Net bags, open wooden crates, or plaited ropes hung from a beam are ideal.

Plaiting garlic and onions

Plaiting uses the dry stems of the plant to braid bulbs together into a decorative rope that can be hung for storage. Softneck garlic is most suitable as its flexible stems plait easily. Hardneck garlic has a rigid stem — it is better stored in a net bag or with the stem trimmed to a few centimetres. Plaiting onions requires stems left long enough to work with, so decide at harvest time if you intend to plait and leave the leaves intact through curing. A well-made plait of ten to twelve onions or garlic bulbs is beautiful, practical, and keeps the bulbs completely separate from each other so rot cannot spread.

Checking stored onions and garlic

Inspect stored bulbs every two to three weeks. Remove any that are soft, showing mould, or beginning to sprout. A sprouting onion is not necessarily rotted — the inner layers are still fine to cook with; just remove the sprout. Any that smell strongly or have soft, mushy layers should be discarded. One rotten bulb left in storage will affect its neighbours.