You can either use an oven or a dehydrator to dry onions, or you can use a process known as "curing."Each process requires a slightly different set of steps.
Step 1: Choose onions that are strong.
Mild onions don't cure well, so if you want to cure onions for winter storage, you should use pungent onions.Mild onions have paper-like skins and are easy to peel.The onions are juicy and the rings are thick when cut open.Pungent onions have tight skins and are smaller in size.Your eyes will start to water when the rings are cut open.For a month or two, mild onions can be dried or cured.In ideal conditions, onions can last all winter.The sulfurous compounds that cause tears to form in your eyes when you cut an onion slows down the rotting process.The Candy, Copra, Red Weathersfield, and Ebenezer are some of the popular onions.
Step 2: Leave the leaves alone.
Remove the leaves with scissors or shears and brush off any clumps of soil.If the onions have been taken from the garden, this step is not necessary.If you buy them from the store, the leaves and dirt have already been removed.After the leaves on the plant have begun to weaken and flop over, it's time to harvest the onion.For winter storage, only fully matured onions should be cured.As soon as you harvest your onions, you should cure or dry them.
Step 3: The onions should be moved to a protected area.
The onions should be placed in a shed or pantry with a temperature between 60 and 80 degrees.Allow the onions to cure for a full week.If the weather is still dry and warm, and you don't need to worry about animals getting into your onion crop, you can usually let them lay in the garden for a few days.You will usually need to put them in a garage, shed, or covered porch.As you move the onions, be careful.If they are bumped together too roughly, they can bruise.You should not touch them during the initial drying stage.Don't place onions in the sun since it can cause drying.
Step 4: The onions should be cured in a braid.
If you want to finish curing the onions, you can either lay them out flat or weave the tops into a braid.Cut off all the leaves from the three newest onions and braid them together.Tie or braid the leaves of the onions that are being cured and hang them vertically to finish drying.According to research, onions do not do better or worse if they are dry braided or laid out flat.Allow the onions to cure for four to six weeks.
Step 5: The tops need to be trimmed back.
As the onions cure, you should trim back the tops two or three times.When the onions are completely cured, remove the rest of the necks.The roots should be trimmed.During the curing process, trim the tops back two or three times.Cut the onions neck completely after curing/drying.You should use scissors to trim the onion's roots after the first week or two of drying.
Step 6: The onions should be stored in a dry place.
You can usually keep onions in the basement during the winter.The onions should be placed in mesh bags, a basket, or a flat cardboard box.If you put three onions in a small space, you'll get plenty of air circulation.Mild onions can last two weeks to one month at a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius).
Step 7: The oven should be set to 140 degrees.
Baking sheets can be prepared by lining them with paper.You will need one to two standard baking sheets for every onion you want to dry.Prepare two baking sheets if you only dry one onion.Prepare three or four baking sheets if you are drying onions.Giving onions too much space is better than giving them too little.During the drying process, do not allow the temperature to rise above 140 degrees Fahrenheit.If the oven rises above this temperature, you may end up burning onion instead of drying it.The trays you use should be about 2 inches narrower than the inside of the oven.
Step 8: Take the onions and slice them into thin slices.
The root, top, and skins should be removed and the onions chopped or sliced into rings.The easiest way to slice onions is with a mandoline.If you don't have a kitchen utensil, you can slice the onions with your kitchen knife.
Step 9: The onions should be spread on the baking sheets.
Spread the onion slices on your baking sheets in a single layer.The onions will take longer to dry if you pile them on a baking sheet.If you accidentally store onions that have not been dried, there could be problems later on.
Step 10: The onion should be dry in the oven.
Place the onion in the oven for 6 to 10 hours and then turn the trays as needed to minimize the risk of scorching.The inside of the oven can get too hot if the door is propped open.If you do this, you may want to place a fan at the opening to force the air inside to circulate more effectively.There is about 3 inches of empty space between the trays and the top of the oven.There needs to be a lot of air circulation.If onions are left in the oven too long, they may end up burning, so keep a close eye on them as they near the end of the drying process.It can ruin the taste of onions.
Step 11: When done, crumble.
The onions are brittle enough to be crumbled with your hands.You can use this method to make onion flakes.If you want onion flakes, crush the onions with your hands.Roll over onions with a rolling pin if you want onion powder.If handled roughly, the onions slices will be brittle and delicate, so they can break apart easily.
Step 12: Store in a dry area.
Store the onion flakes in a pantry cupboard or similar area.The dried onion can last up to a year.The onions can last anywhere from 3 to 9 months in less humid conditions.It's a good idea to watch out for the rain.During the first few days of storage, take the onions out, dry them, and then put them back in the container.The dried onions should be kept away from water.
Step 13: The onions need to be prepared.
The onions should be cut into rings that are 1/3 inch thick.Remove the root end of the onion.If you have a mandoline, use the smallest setting available to slice the onion.If you don't have a mandoline, you can cut the onion with a kitchen knife.
Step 14: The onions should be placed on dehydrator trays.
The trays should be positioned so that they can receive plenty of air circulation.The onions should not touch each other.They should be spread apart to maximize air circulation.The trays should be far apart.The space between the trays should be at least 2 to 3 inches.
Step 15: The dehydrator can be used for about 12 hours.
If your dehydrator has a thermostat, it's best to run it at a lower temperature.If you have an older or cheaper dehydrator that doesn't have a thermostat, you need to keep an eye on the drying time.The amount of time might need to be increased or decreased by an hour or so, and you can monitor the temperature with an oven-safe thermometer to gauge how big of a time difference you have to account for.
Step 16: Store dried onions in a container.
The onions should be kept in a dry place.They can be used in your cooking or eaten plain.The dried onions can last up to 12 months if you vacuum seal them.The onions can last up to 9 months in less humid conditions.It's a good idea to watch out for the rain.During the first few days of storage, take the onions out, dry them, and then put them back in the container.The dried onions should be kept away from water.You can crush the onions into powder for cooking.
Step 17: It was finished.