We love green onions — I often use sliced bits of the tops as a garnish, and I also use them in salads and cooking. But I’ve always had a problem with them getting slimy in the refrigerator. Or the tops totally drying out and becoming brown if I didn’t put them in the refrigerator.
A New Way to Store Green Onions
On a whim, I tried a new approach: I just stuck them in a glass of water. After a couple of days, a few of the tops wilted and then started to turn brown. Oops! I thought.
But I cut the wilting “leaves” off and used them in dinner that night, and put the bottoms back in the glass of water.
Not only did they stay good, they actually regrew their tops!
I now routinely keep green onions a couple of months or more — basically, I only buy more when I want to use the white part as well (say to dip in hummus) or because they’re not regrowing as fast as we’re eating.
Green Onion Storage Tips
Here are a few tips to store your green onions this way:
- If you use chlorine in your water, don’t put the green onions in the water if you can smell the chlorine. Too much chlorine will kill the roots. Let the glass of water sit for an hour or so until the chlorine dissipates, then put the green onions in.
- Keep the glass where it won’t fall or spill. I find that a drink holder in the cockpit is perfect on all but the roughest passages.
- They don’t have to be kept in sunlight but will grow faster if they are.
- Change the water every two to three days. You don’t need to use a lot of water; keep it at a level roughly even the top of the white part of the green onions.
- If a few leaves start wilting, remove them and use them (I find this happens when I bring some new ones home; rarely thereafter).
I store a lot of my veggies outside the refrigerator (there’s just no room in the tiny one I have) but I have to admit that this is one of my favorite tricks: not just no need for refrigeration, but they last longer and reproduce!
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Simplify meal prep on board with proven strategies for provisioning, maximizing fridge space, and cooking delicious meals aboard your boat.
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Carolyn Shearlock says
I found they’re regrowing — or at least the green parts are — just in the water.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Ohh, thanks. I should have thought of that!