Onions and garlic are staple vegetables in winter for making soups or stews, but it can be frustrating to be in the middle of a recipe and discover these key ingredients have spoiled.

Holly, an expert from 1 Million Women, has shared that onions and garlic often rot and become mushy before their expiration date because they are not stored properly by most people.

She realised onions and garlic had to be removed from the plastic bags they came in from the supermarket, as they trap moisture and retain heat, causing decay.

However, there is an incredibly simple way to store onions and garlic that only takes a few minutes of preparation but will keep them fresh for months rather than a week or two.

Holly said: “Turns out I have been storing my onions, garlic, and shallots all wrong, have you? This method can help your items last up to three months with no mould or wilting in sight!”

How to store onions and garlic properly to keep them fresh 

The important thing to remember when storing onions and garlic is that they need a lot of air circulation to stay fresh, as a humid environment will cause mould.

All you need to store them properly is a paper bag that you can make holes in. The more air allowed into their storage container, the higher the chance they have of staying dry.

Simply fold a paper bag lengthwise and use a hold puncher to punch a series of holes along one edge through multiple layers of the bag. Then, flip the bag over and punch the same amount of holes on the other side.

Fill one paper bag with onions and another with garlic, then use a paper clip to seal the tops of the paper bags.

Then, store your onions and garlic in a cupboard, drawer, or pantry away from hot appliances in your kitchen. Make sure to also keep onions out of the fridge as the humid and cold environment causes too much moisture in the air which will spoil them.

Holly said, “Onions, garlic, and shallots will last the longest in a dark, cool (but not cold), dry storage area. Onions should not be stored for an extended time in the refrigerator because the cold temperature will soften their texture; plus, onions will impart their flavour on surrounding produce.”

Both garlic and onions also need to be kept off your kitchen counter as sunlight will cause them to sprout and develop a horrible bitter taste.

When stored correctly, both garlic and onions can last months, so you can spend the rest of winter making lots of warming recipes without worrying about your vegetables spoiling before their time.