Onions will stay fresh and not rot or go 'mushy' if you store them away from fridge

Food storage hacks can revolutionize the way you keep your bananas and spuds fresh, but they're also a game-changer for extending the life of your onions. Onions, an essential ingredient in kitchens , are often chucked into the fridge alongside other groceries, but that's not their happy place.

If your onions are starting to sprout, get soft, or show signs of mould, it's likely they're not being stored right . YouTube guru Jerry James Stone has spilled the beans on his top tips for keeping onions fresh " without them rotting or going mushy ", dishing out his knowledge in a video.

He suggests: "I'm going to talk to you about how you properly store onions - if you do it correctly, you can actually store them for up to six months.", reports the Express .

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"Onions hate being in the fridge, that's the first thing - never put them in the fridge. If you do, they actually rot and go mushy."

Jerry points out that the chilly, damp conditions of a fridge are a big no-no for whole onions, which prefer just the opposite environment.

Since onions are like sponges for moisture, sticking them in a cooler can turn them squishy and spoil them quicker, though this doesn't apply to peeled or chopped onions.

"The other thing about onions, is they prefer to be in a dry place, that's cool, and has good ventilation," Jerry added.

"Don't jam them in a tight drawer; rather, aim for a pantry with lots of air flow. That's [ventilation] super crucial as they give off quite a bit of moisture."

"One thing you definitely don't want to do is store onions anywhere next to potatoes. Because of the moisture and ethylene gas onions put out, they cause potatoes to sprout. The food you can store onions next to is garlic - they prefer the same environment."

If you've bought onions in a plastic bag from the shop, it's wisest to take them out before storing. The plastic can keep in dampness which may lead to your onions getting mouldy.

Onions need to breathe to stay fresh, so think about keeping them in a net or mesh bag that provides good air circulation and helps control moisture.

For a short spell, if youre planning to use your onions within a couple of days, just pop them in a bowl on the kitchen bench or stash them in your cupboard.

But for when you need to store your onions over a longer time, they should be placed in a chilly, dry, dark place, well away from lightlike a cellar or garage.