How to Store Cut Onions in The Refrigerator Without Smell?

Onions are used in a wide variety of dishes. They provide a familiar base flavor that makes our favorite dishes even more sumptuous.

While prepping onions for your dishes, you may end up with way more than you need. Can you store those leftover chopped onions in your refrigerator without perfuming everything with its pungent aroma? Find out by continuing with the rest of this article.

How to Store Cut Onions in the Refrigerator Without Smell?

To store cut onions in the refrigerator without smell make sure to carefully chop the onions. It is important to prevent unnecessary damage that could lead to the release of more odors. Once they’re chopped, rinse the onions under running water to weaken the odors they release even further. Place the rinsed onions in a glass jar, airtight container, or releasable bag to keep them safe. Store the chopped onions inside your refrigerator after setting that appliance’s internal temperature to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). Chopped onions stored in the refrigerator will remain safe to eat for around seven days.

How Do You Store Chopped Onions while Minimizing Their Strong Odor?

Although many of us are fans of onions and their savory-sweet flavor, their natural odor doesn’t garner the same kind of universal acclaim.

That sharp odor is welcome when you are expecting a bite of onion. It becomes less appealing in other situations.

If you’ve ever kept chopped onions in your refrigerator before, you know that the distinct odor of onion can takeover nearby food and drinks completely. The experience of drinking onion-flavored water or eating an onion-infused slice of cake is not exactly pleasant.

Is it possible to keep chopped onions in your refrigerator without having them perfume the other items you have stored in there? You can indeed pull that off as long as you follow the steps detailed below.

Step 1: Chop the Onions Carefully

The first thing you must do to control the odor released by the onions is to chop them carefully.

Cutting the onions excessively opens them up too much. When that happens, the onions are able to release more of their odor.

Be precise while cutting your onions to keep those odors inside the vegetable.

Step 2: Rinse the Chopped Onions

Now that your onions are properly chopped, it’s time to rinse them. Rinsing the onions helps wash away some of the chemicals responsible for making them so pungent in the first place.

Don’t worry about rinsing because it won’t compromise the flavor of your chopped onions.

To rinse your onions, you should first place them inside a strainer. Position them under a faucet next and turn on the water.

Let the water run over the onions for a few seconds to rinse them thoroughly. Pat the onions dry with some paper towels when you’re done rinsing them.

Step 3: Prepare the Containers

At this point, you now need to prepare the containers for your chopped onions. You have a few options to consider here.

Glass jars with lids are the best containers for chopped onions. Once they are sealed tightly, glass jars can trap odors and prevent external air from reaching their contents.

They are also great to use for this purpose because they don’t absorb the smell of the onions. Use them to store other items without worrying about them potentially transferring any unwanted odors.

If you don’t have glass jars available, you can also use an airtight container or a resealable bag.

Both types of reusable containers are perfectly suitable for storing chopped onions. You just have to live with them retaining the odor of that pungent vegetable.

Vigorous cleaning will be required if you want to get rid of that distinct onion smell.

Step 4: Set the Right Temperature for Your Refrigerator

Chopped onions need to be stored at the right temperature to ensure that they will last as long as possible.

The ideal temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). Remember to set your fridge to that temperature before putting the onions away.

Step 5: Store the Chopped Onions

All that’s left now is to let your chopped onions chill out inside your refrigerator. You can also keep them in there for a while.

According to the National Onion Association, chopped onions can be safely stored inside a refrigerator for up to seven days as long as they are kept in a container. Don’t go beyond that unless you want to get sick from eating those leftover onions.

How Can You Tell if Your Chopped Onions Are Still Safe to Use?

Upon checking your chopped onions, you may have noticed that the lid on the container was not secured properly. Because of that, you’re now wondering if those leftover onions are still safe to use.

Thankfully, you can look for certain things to gauge the freshness of your chopped onions. We’ve detailed those things in the next section.

1. Unusual Odor

Onions are known for having a very sharp and pungent odor. If that odor is replaced by something different, then that means your chopped onions have likely spoiled.

2. Slimy or Mushy Texture

Even when chopped, onions should possess a firm texture. Onions that feel slimy or mushy are no longer fit for consumption.

3. Dark Spots

Dark spots are should not be present on chopped onions.

Those dark spots indicate that your chopped onions have been infested by mold. Throw those moldy onions away because they are no good anymore.

Conclusion to How to Store Cut Onions in The Refrigerator Without Smell?

Free your fridge from the unpleasant odors released by onions by following the steps detailed in this article. You’ll be glad you have those chopped onions on hand as you can quickly add them to your favorite dishes!

Frequently Asked Questions about How to Store Cut Onions in the Refrigerator Without Producing a Smell