I live in 360 square feet. I love using every bit of whatever I buy or get. Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without. (To be honest - the "last life left" in my clothes gets given away to charity; my friends don't wear my size.)
Food dehydrators are HUGE contraptions to put in a 360 square foot space, where space is at a premium. Having "more stuff" also encroaches on my goals toward heading toward a minimalist lifestyle, besides I absolutely love Apartment Homesteading!
So let's stretch out the lifespan of my spring onions.
I live on the beach, a very high humidity area. So high is the humidity, that I have a good size dehumidifier in my small space. I keep it set between 40%-50% humidity. Those low humidity levels kill all the fleas my trusty leash-trained cat Valentino might pick up in our wild outdoor adventures. Fleas usually die from the drier air within 48 hours. Valentino is pesticide free, naturally! Humans thrive best in humidity levels between 40%-60%. Below 40% or above 60% and humans will start to get respiratory issues.
I've dehydrated spring onions naturally in several different climates and humidity levels, including homes in Missouri and Kansas during the summer with the windows open to the natural air for days.
Dehydrating Spring Onions, Naturally Rinse spring onions in cool water. Cut in short sections, 3/4 of a centimeter long (3/4 the width of an M&M candy). Separate the rings on the white part of the onion - they will dry out faster. Spread out on a fresh clean napkin or paper towel. Leave out to dry in a "still area" - no strong breezes, or your onions will blow away. You can check them several hours later and re-position them to speed drying time and decrease sticking to the paper. 24 hours later, shake/pull the onions off the paper. Store in an airtight container. Mine keep for up to 18 months. Great in soups!
2 Ways stretch out the 'shelf life' of fresh (not dehydrated) Spring Onions Rinse first. 1--In a cup, in the fridge with just enough water to cover the roots. Change the water every other day. Cut off the roots and the rest of the plant will take up more water easily. You can also cut off and dry the tops, leaving the rest in the fridge cup "ready to eat". 2--DO NOT cut the bottom roots or green tops off! In a cup, on the counter, near a sunny spot with just enough water to cover the roots. Change the water every day. The ones on the counter will continue growing - not only will the green tops keep growing for several weeks, so will the roots! Cut off the older green tops, as the newer ones push them out of the way, and you'll have a bumper crop of Spring Onions to dehydrate, naturally! If you have the gardening space, you could also take the onions from the counter and re-plant those with new long roots in your container garden or outside plot. Spring onions in a cup on the counter won't last forever. In my wild experiments, the farthest they got was 3 weeks. I buy bunches of Spring Onions at the local Farmer's Market for 2 for $1. As you probably noticed, they are what I call "scratch n' dent produce" (I'm a frugal minimalist, remember?).
Between stretching and drying, I get 1/2 again as many as I paid for, including plenty dried for use later in chip dip, soups and Spring Onion Cheddar Drop Biscuits! Leave me a comment down below and let me know how it worked for you, or if you have any great uses for dried spring onions, please share!
I’ve been wondering how to store mine for the winter! We buy an organic bunch at the beginning of the spring, and pony them directly into a planter on the patio so they naturally keep regrowing. Fresh green onion all summer and most of fall. However, I have trouble keeping them alive indoors and have been trying to figure out how to dry and store them. I don’t have room to store a dehydrator, so this is the perfect method. Can’t wait to try it here in a few weeks when it starts to get colder!
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Francis Stephen Bridges
5/19/2019 04:49:35 pm
Thanks for the info...I live in Pensacola, FL so the info was esp. helpful! cheers, Steve
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Judith Sharnik
6/19/2022 08:23:31 pm
I started drying herbs several years ago. I tried several methods but ended up cutting them either in small pieces or easily crumble-able pieces, placing them on parchment paper on a cookie tray in a less than 200 degree oven keeping careful watch. Different herbs obviously take different amounts of time (Basil and chives are much different))
I'm glad you talked that humidity could affect the freshness of onions. My brother informed me yesterday that he and his business partner hoped to find a wholesaler that could offer a bulk dehydrated onion and other spices supplies for their Mexican business truck. He asked if I had thoughts on the best option to consider. I'm thankful for this instructive article, I'll tell him they can consult a well-known bulk spices distributor to gather details about their supplies.
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Eric
8/29/2023 01:58:55 am
Hanging them to dry over days also works well. MAKE SURE TO PAT THEM REALLY DRY FIRST THOUGH! I lost a batch due to that
Best part with hanging is that they are left long, so you can cut them how you want after
Awesome that there are so many ways to dry these plants
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Rose Marie is an urban apartment dweller, seeking a simpler & more affordable life, through minimalism, frugality & urban homesteading, all while living in a 360 square foot apartment home with her trained cat companion, the ever affectionate Valentino.