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How Long Do Onions Last Before They’ll Go Bad?

Onions are unmissable in your household, but sometimes you buy simply too much of them. You’ve some left from 2 weeks ago and wonder how long do onions last before they’ll go bad?

Do onions go bad? Of course, they do, just like other foods and drinks. How can you tell if they’re going bad and how should you store them?

I know you want to make some baked onions with baked sausage on a sandwich with some ketchup or mustard ;).

In this article, we will cover all you need to know about onions, their shelf life, how to store them and their spoilage signs.

Enjoy the read!

What Are Onions

Onions are vegetables and come in different shapes, sizes, and colors: from white to yellow, red, purple, and so on. Onions contain a lot of good things like vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, and potassium.

They also have health benefits and can reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and obesity.

Some people aren’t keen on peeling or using onions because they can make you cry.

How Long Can Onions Last

As always, we will start with a quick table to make things easier:

OnionsPantryRefrigeratorFreezer
Whole Up to 4 weeks Up to 3 monthsUp to 6 months
RedUp to 4 weeksUp to 3 monthsUp to 6 months
Cut/Up to 1 week (7 days)Up to 6 months
GreenUp to 1 week (7 days)Up to 2 weeksUp to 6 months
SweetUp to 1 week (7 days)Up to 1 monthUp to 6 months
Indicative timetable for how long onions can last before they’ll go bad. Always check for signs of spoilage!

As you can see, not all onions are the same when it comes to their shelf life and how long the onion can last. We will talk about different types of onions like whole onions, cut onions, and sweet onions.

Onions can thrive in places that are colder than regular room temperature and need a good airflow, otherwise, they can grow mold quite fast and we need to avoid this.

How Long Do Uncut Onions Last

Uncut or whole onions can last for up to 1 month in the pantry and more than 3 months in the refrigerator.

This makes sense because when onions are still whole, they’re better protected against external threats like heat change, air, moisture, bacteria transfer, sunlight, and so on. The best routine is to place the uncut onions directly in your fridge.

How Long Do Cut Onions Last

Cut onions don’t last as long as their whole counterparts: up to 1 week (7 days) in the fridge. Don’t store them in the pantry, from the moment you cut onions, you have to store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best to consume them in the first 2 to 4 days. This will depend on the way you’ve stored your onions and in what state you’ve bought them.

It’s important to store the cut, sliced onions in an airtight container to protect them better from external threats. Onions can suck up op other odors from foods and drinks you store in your fridge, make sure the container is sealed tight.

How Long Do Red Onions Last

Red onions are quite similar to regular onions and will last up to 4 weeks when stored in the pantry and up to more than 3 months when stored in the refrigerator. Always make sure you have good ventilation in your house. Cut red onions will remain good for up to 1 week (7 days) when stored in an airtight container and sealed tight.

How Long Do Green Onions Last

Green onions aren’t similar to regular onions or red onions but more similar to sweet onions. Green onions will last up to 1 week (7 days) in the pantry and up to 2 week in the refrigerator.

Always when you buy them, place them directly in the fridge. Make sure you can consume them and don’t make the mistake that they will last as long as regular onions.

How Long Do Sweet Onions Last

Sweet onions aren’t similar to regular onions or red onions but more similar to green onions. Sweet onions will last up to 1 week (7 days) in the pantry and up to 1 month (4 weeks) when stored in the refrigerator.

Always when you buy them, place them directly in the fridge, you won’t do anything wrong by doing that, on the contrary! Make sure you consume them and don’t make the mistake that they will last as long as regular onions.

Please note that the above periods are estimates and depend on what state the onions were in when you bought them and whether they were stored properly or not.

How To Store Onions

When it comes to storing onions, things aren’t that hard really. You must be aware of external threats like heat, moisture, air, bacteria transfer, direct sunlight, and so on…

How To Store Onions Unrefrigerated

The pantry or cupboard in your kitchen is an ideal place. A dark corner in your garage can also be a great location as your onions need a dark and cool place. With cool we mean a temperature that’s lower than room temperature, don’t confuse cool with cold, that’s the fridge.

When you buy your onions in the store, they will come in nets, and that’s with a reason because the fruit needs to breathe and the air must be able to circulate freely. So don’t place them into an airtight container just yet, use a bowl or something else that isn’t sealed. Don’t make the mistake of placing the onions in a plastic bag and sealing it, because the air won’t be able to move freely.

How To Store Onions Refrigerated

When it comes to storing your onions in the fridge, things are not that hard. Your whole onions can be stored in the built-in container but we simply advise you not to store them in the fridge when they’re still uncut.

When it comes to cut or sliced onions, you should store them in the refrigerator, in a sealed container so the onions are safe from the strong odors from other foods and drinks in your fridge. Their own odor will remain trapped in the container and moisture from in the fridge won’t get into the container, so they won’t grow mold that fast.

If you have too many onions to handle, you can always opt for freezing them.

Can You Freeze Onions

Yes, you can freeze your onions, but should you?

You can freeze them for up to 6 months. Always try to manage your freezer inventory and stay with the period of 6 months. That’s enough time for you to deal with the inventory and replace everything with newer foods and drinks. By doing this, you’re getting your freezer to work and you’ll reduce possible risks to your health and well-being.

Freezing your onions will prolong their shelf life, but also reduce the possibilities of what you can do with them.

Try to do the following when you’re about to freeze your onions:

  • Peel the onions
  • Cut the onions into smaller pieces
  • Divide them into single-serve portions
  • Pack them in 1 or 2 plastic freezer bags (double-bagging them) or an airtight container
  • Label the bags or containers with the correct date and time of freezing.
  • Place into the freezer

When you’re about to use your frozen onions, let them thaw and rest in the refrigerator.

We advise you to use the thawed onions as an ingredient in other dishes or recipes, so don’t use them as raw food.

Always check for spoilage signs when consuming your onions.

How Can You Tell If Onions Have Gone Bad

As we’ve said before in this article, we will talk first about how you can buy the best onions at the market or store, so you can get the most out of them. It’s always to be equipped with the right knowledge from the start right?

What Onions Should You Buy At The Store

When buying onions, you can make it yourself easier and enjoy this great veggie, for a bit longer by using the following tips:

  • Look at the color: do you see some other colors?
  • No softer spots, your onions should feel strong
  • No bruises or cuts or anything like this. Of course, the bruise could be from falling down.
  • Are they cooled or not? At room temperature, they will spoil faster and more likely have a shorter shelf life.

You can’t always expect to pick the best ones from each pack, just use your senses and do a quick check. This way, you can use them within the right timeframe. Keep in mind that not all onions are the same in the going bad as we’ve said before.

Use the following guidelines when checking your onions for spoilage signs:

  1. Do the onions have colored spots? This is a sign it has suffered some things and could already be bad. However small colored spots can also be caused by falling down. Are there a lot of them? Discard them. Be aware of mold!
  2. Look and touch the onions. Do they feel soft? Are they dried out? Then the best is gone and the rest should be discarded.
  3. Do the onions have a weird smell? If you smell something funny or unpleasant, discard it away. A nice smell is an indication of freshness and quality, as it should be. Onions are known the take other odors in.
  4. How is the taste? The last step is the taste. Go and apply the previous steps. Just be honest with yourself, when the onion doesn’t taste like onion, I’d discard it.

Always check in this order. Onions that are somewhat ok to go with, go and use them in other dishes as an ingredient. Don’t use onions that aren’t that good anymore. We on GoodOrGoneBad say you shouldn’t use it when you still have your doubts after your quick check. You can buy for fairly low prices some fresh onions and go from there.

Enjoy your onions!