Onions – When and How to Harvest

To harvest onions at their peak, wait until the bulb has reached about fist-size, and their green leaves begin to yellow, turn brown, and die back.  For onions planted in the spring, this should be about mid-July to mid-August.  At this point, bend but don’t break the neck of the onion, just above the bulb. This stops the green leaves from transferring energy into the bulb, or the bulb from transferring energy back into the greens. If you have noticed your onions flowering, that is what we are trying to prevent. Cut the irrigation to the onions, and let them sit with their necks bent for about a week. The tops should have died back even more. Pull the onions out of the ground, and put them in a shady but very dry space with good circulation.

Let the greens of the onions fully dry up, which should take another few weeks. Whey they have finally cured, trim the dead greens and the root hairs off, along with the clumps of dirt.  You may have to remove one layer of skin, but that is okay. Onions can be stored similar to potatoes – in a bag or box in a cool, dark place, or in the refrigerator.  Make sure they have good circulation. Depending on the variety, they can store longer. A good rule of thumb is to eat sweet onions first, shallots next, then red onions, and finally yellows and whites, which are able to be stored the longest.