Keep Green Onions Fresh for Weeks! Here’s the Ultimate Storage Hack

Due to its size, green onion is harder to store than other vegetables. However, if you store it at room temperature, it dries out quickly, reducing its crunchiness and nutrition. Let’s explore the proper storage method for green onion.

Green onions effectively boost immunity because they are high in the antimicrobial compound allicin. The mucilage found in the green leaves of green onions increases anti-allergic effects by about 1.5 times, enhances immunity by approximately 5 times, and boosts the number of NK cells that attack cancer cells or virus-infected cells by around 2.5 times.

However, keeping green onions in a warm place can reduce their antioxidant properties. A study published in the Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition found that green onions stored at 10℃ to 20℃ (50 to 68°F) have a higher respiration rate than those kept at 5℃ (41°F). As the plants breathe through their leaves, they lose more moisture and tissue vitality, which leads to antioxidant destruction.

Therefore, it’s best to store green onions in a refrigerator close to 0℃ (32°F). This reduces their respiration rate, preventing moisture evaporation and nutrient loss.

So, how can you store these hard-to-keep green onions in the refrigerator?

Storing green onions for over a month requires effectively capturing the moisture they emit. To prepare a space for the green onions, start by placing a sheet of newspaper at the bottom of a sealable container.

Next, cut the unwashed green onions into three sections, arrange them neatly in the container with 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8 in) spacing, and seal the container. Finally, store the prepared green onions upright in the designated space.

By doing this, the newspaper absorbs the moisture released from the green onions, allowing them to stay fresh for over a month without wilting.

If you need to store them for a long time, it’s best to consume the white part first and freeze only the green leaves. The green leaves have a lower moisture content and are less likely to wilt than the white part.