How to dry onions after harvesting from the garden: rules and adaptations

There are certain rules on how to dry onions after harvesting from the garden. This process largely affects the safety of the crop and its long-term storage. In order for the vegetable to dry well, dig it out, also following the recommendations.

When and how to remove onions from the beds?

To make the onion dry well, it is recommended to follow the rules. 14-15 days before the expected harvest, you need to stop watering the plants. At night, it is recommended to cover the plantings with a film from morning dew.

Onions are harvested around the end of July, beginning of August.A vegetable grown from sevka begins to be harvested a little earlier than one that has grown from seedlings. External signs will help determine the degree of maturity of the head. Feathers usually begin to turn yellow, dry out and spread along the ground, the neck becomes thinner, dries. The bulb has a characteristic golden yellow color, the husk is dry, rustling and easy to peel.

Dig up the bulbs with a pitchfork or a shovel. At a short distance from the head, they dig up the ground and then pull it out with their hands. Pulling the onion out by hand can damage the bottom, leading to early rot.

Harvest preferably on a warm, sunny, dry day. It is better to dry the vegetable under the sun, and not in the shade. The sun's rays and the wind dry well to the very center of the bulb, and disinfection occurs at the same time. Beforehand, you need to carefully shake off adhering dirt from the heads, but you should not hit them against each other. Lay out the bulbs in a single layer, periodically turning the different sides to the sun.

If it rains every day, then a few days before harvesting, you can cover the bed with a film. The harvested crop is immediately removed to a room with good ventilation.

Where and how to dry onions after harvesting?

High-quality drying of onions will preserve the taste and benefits for a long time. There are some differences in this process when it comes to sevka, onion or nigella.

Sevok

The sevok is put away for storage in order to plant it next year. Onion sets need to be dried for at least a month. The first week, if the weather permits, it is better to dry on the street, the floor in the sun. Periodically, the sets are mixed so that light and air enter each area. If the weather is damp, then the sevok is distributed on a fabric material or paper in a room with good circulation of fresh air.

When the neck is completely dry and golden, dry scales appear, you can harvest in a storage container. Damaged and small onions are removed to the side. The size of the planting material should be approximately 2 cm in diameter.

Store allowed in cardboard boxes, nets or fabric bags, hanging from the ceiling. Periodically, the bulbs are sorted out and suspicious heads are selected (the presence of spots, an unpleasant odor, softening of the head should alert). In order for the sevok to have the ability to germinate after planting, it must be stored at a temperature of at least +16 degrees.

Sevoc can also be stored cold. In this case, it is stored in a refrigerator or basement at a temperature of -2 degrees. Previously, the vegetable must be heated at a temperature of +30 degrees for two weeks. Before planting, the seedlings are warmed up again.

Onion

There are some peculiarities and how to properly dry onions after harvesting. Two weeks is enough for onions to dry out. The first two days are left to dry in the garden, and then transferred to a dry, ventilated room, where the air temperature is about +25 degrees.

In a well-dried onion, the neck becomes thinner, dries out, the head is covered with dense, rustling, golden scales. The bulbs are dense to the touch and smell pleasant. Before putting them in a storage container, you need to cut off the feathers, leaving a stump of 3-4 cm. If you plan to weave braids from them, then leave a length of about 10 cm.

For storage, only whole, dense, without damage heads are selected, which can be put into boxes, boxes, baskets, nets. Harvest is best stored in a dark, cool place with good ventilation.

How to dry nigella?

Nigerushka is called onion seeds and the better they are dried, the more likely it is that all useful properties will be preserved. Vegetable growers advise drying nigella in three stages using home heating appliances:

• the first 7 days after the onion is kept indoors at a temperature of +20 degrees;
• for another 7 days the vegetable is dried at +30 degrees;
• all the third week the onions are dried at +35 degrees.

After drying, the nigella is laid out in boxes or bags and put away in a cool place. The air temperature should not exceed +18 degrees. Do not forget to review the harvest, picking out rotten bulbs in time.

How to dry onions for the winter at home?

There are many ways to dry onions at home using household appliances or outside. Before drying, the turnip is cut into slices. The thickness of the cut should be about 4-5 mm, otherwise it will not dry out. Dried chopped onion pieces are poured into containers (cans, boxes, boxes are suitable) and put in a cool place.

In the oven

A good way to dry onions after harvesting is using the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out sliced rings in one layer. The oven is heated to 60 degrees and a baking sheet with slices is placed in it. The oven door does not need to be closed. The drying procedure lasts approximately 6 hours. All this time, the onion rings are periodically turned over so that they do not darken and burn.

As soon as the rings are completely dry, the cooled product is transferred to linen bags, cardboard boxes or a glass jar. The main thing is that air does not penetrate into the container. The first days it is better not to close the container, dry slices at this time will completely dry out. Only after that, the containers are closed and stored in a dry, dark, cool place.

In the electric dryer

Drying onions can be done in an electric dryer. With this device, the product dries quickly without losing its useful qualities.Chopped onions are distributed on trays from the dryer, and then placed in the device for 7 hours at a temperature of 60 degrees. Once the slices are dry, they are transferred to bags.

In airfryer

With the help of an air grill, you can cook any dish. Hot air flow allows you to fry, stew, bake, smoke. There is another useful function - drying. Kitchen equipment can be used not only for drying onions, but also for mushrooms, fruits, berries, herbs. During drying, beautiful appearance, pleasant taste and useful components are preserved.

The convection grill consists of a lid and a heat-resistant glass bowl. During operation, the spiral heats up, the air constantly circulates inside and as a result, the onion rings dry evenly.

In an air grill, onions can dry out in just one hour at a temperature of about 70 degrees, but only when placed, not a whole onion, but chopped slices. In order for the rings to be well and efficiently dried, the lid must be kept slightly ajar.

Outdoor

Sliced onion can also be dried in the air, in the shade. A spicy vegetable is laid out in a thin layer on any surface, for example, on cardboard. Turn the rings daily to dry evenly. This drying method is suitable when the weather is dry and warm.

If the weather is good, then the onion can be dried as a whole, spread out in one layer on a fabric surface right outside. In case of cold, rainy weather, it can be stored in a well-ventilated area, such as a barn or hayloft (it is better to keep the door ajar).

Experienced vegetable growers at their dacha make special devices for drying onions with their own hands. If the shed is built in such a way that there is a canopy, you can strengthen the shelves from the blocks to its wall. Such bulbs will not get wet by rain, and air will flow to the vegetable around the clock.

Recommended