Some people will tell you to freeze chopped onions. They are not wrong, but they are liars about the texture. Frozen raw onions become watery, floppy, and lose all their crunch. Use them only for soups, stews, or chili—anywhere the onion is going to surrender its life to heat and disappear anyway.
But here’s a pro-tip that will blow your mind: Freeze them on a baking sheet first. Spread the diced pieces out, freeze for an hour, then dump them into a bag. This prevents them from clumping into one giant, icy onion rock that you’ll have to chisel apart. Future you will be very grateful.
The “No, Seriously, Don’t Do This” List
Do not store a cut onion in a metal bowl. The sulfur compounds react with metal and give your onion a weird, metallic taste. Irony: You wanted to store an onion, not forge a sword.
Do not wrap it in a paper towel. I know the internet says this absorbs moisture. It also absorbs onion flavor and turns into a slimy science experiment. Just say no. Paper towels are for spills and tears, not onion storage.
How to Properly Store Cut Onions to Prevent Waste and Save Money
