How to Store Green Onions So They Stay Fresh For Weeks (or More)
Whether you’re tossing them on as garnish or blending them into a recipe, green onions (also known as scallions) can add a lot of delicious flavor to a dish. That is, unless you look into the fridge and realize yet another bunch has gone bad before you even got the chance to use them. Luckily, it’s easy to learn how to store green onions so they stay fresh for weeks.
How to Store Green Onions in the Refrigerator
Food author and chef Jerry James Stone shares a few simple tips on his YouTube channel that can make your green onions last as long as three weeks.
Stone explains that these particular veggies are especially vulnerable to the ethylene gas that other produce gives off. With that in mind, he recommends making sure you keep your green onions far away from other veggies and fruit.
Similar to fresh herbs like cilantro, he says we should place the onions in a jar or cup with a little water — just enough to cover the roots and white area, but not the green bits. Stone adds that because they like humidity and cooler temps, you can loosely place a bag over the onion stalks (like the one you put them in at the grocery store) and put them all the way at the back of your fridge where it tends to be the coldest.
You might also be tempted to immediately trim off any wilted layers, but Stone says to leave them on until you’re ready to cook. Otherwise, you’ll just be making the layers underneath more vulnerable to wilting, too.
Take a look at his video for more helpful tips:
For those who’d rather not deal with a jar of water sitting in their fridge, Sue from My Korean Kitchen swears by another method.
She starts by chopping off the root, then dries the onions off with a paper towel. After that, she wraps them in a couple more paper towels before sliding them into a plastic zip bag. She stores them in the crisper drawer and claims this technique keeps the green onions fresh even longer — up to four or five weeks, or more!
Can you freeze green onions?
If you find yourself with a lot of green onions you know you won’t be able to use quickly, you can also try storing them in your freezer. BudgetBytes says you can start by drying them off and chopping them like you normally would for a recipe. Then, simply toss them into a jar, freezer bag, or other tight container to chill out for three to four months.
They might lose a bit of their flavor over time, but should thaw out quickly and still taste great on top of baked potatoes, nachos, and other dishes.
Give one of these tricks a try with your next bunch of green onions!
