Food storage techniques are always handy to know, not only for bananas and potatoes, but equally for prolonging the freshness of your onions. This kitchen essential is typically stored in the fridge alongside other vegetables, but this is far from their ideal environment.

If your onions are beginning to sprout, soften, or develop mould, they’re likely not being stored properly. YouTube’s Jerry James Stone has shared his expert guidance for keeping onions in optimal condition “without them rotting or going mushy”, offering his recommendations in one of his videos. He explained: “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.”

He added: “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 stressed that the cold and damp conditions found in fridges are entirely unsuitable for whole onions, as they require completely different surroundings.

Given their tendency to absorb moisture, refrigerating onions can make them soft and cause them to deteriorate far more quickly — though this rule doesn’t apply to peeled or pre-cut onions.

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

“Avoid storing them in a cramped drawer; instead, aim for a pantry where there’s plenty of air movement. That [ventilation’s] super crucial as they emit 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.”

When it comes to supermarket-bought onions that come in plastic bags, it’s recommended to remove them from the packaging before storing. The plastic material traps moisture, which can encourage mould to develop.

Onions require adequate ventilation to stay fresh, so it’s worth considering keeping them in a net or mesh bag, which promotes better air circulation and helps regulate moisture levels.

For short-term storage, if you want to use the onions within a day or two, leaving them in a bowl on the kitchen worktop or inside a cupboard will do.

For longer-term storage, however, onions are best kept in a cool, dry, dark room, such as a cellar or garage, shielded from direct light.