Look For These Signs To Choose The Best Onions Every Time

Onions are a quintessential building block of all kinds of dishes, and they're a staple in most households and cultures, encompassing a wide range of varieties. While onions are fairly hearty bulbous veggies, like all produce, it's best to pick them when they're at their freshest. Tasting Table consulted an expert to help you look for signs to choose the best onions every time. We spoke with Benjamin Prelvukaj, owner of Benjamin Steakhouse, which is hosting the Champions by Benjamin Steakhouse restaurant for the seventh year at the 2026 US Open, available for fans onsite during the event from August 23 through September 13.

Prelvukaj certainly stocks onions at his Steakhouse and probably goes through dozens daily. To find the best onions, Prelvukaj told us, "We look for onions that are firm, heavy for their size, and have dry, papery skin. A dry outer skin is generally a sign that the onion has been properly cured, which helps protect the onion and maintain its quality." Curing is a process in which onions are kept in a warm and dark or shady spot with good air circulation for 2 to 4 weeks to dry out the outer layers of the onion, giving them longer shelf lives, stopping rot, and concentrating their pungent flavors.

Just as there are signs of quality, there are also signs that indicate an onion is past its prime. To that effect, Prelvukaj explained, "Avoid onions that are soft or mushy, have wet spots, mold, bruising, excessive sprouting, or signs of decay."

Benjamin Prelvukaj asserted that "the ideal onion should be firm, dry on the outside, and fresh inside." No matter which variety of onion you pick up from the grocery store, cutting into it should feel fresh and crisp. While fresh spring onions won't hit your eyes quite as hard, older autumn- and winter-harvested types have more flavor. Luckily, there's an unconventional trick to stop yourself from crying that requires you to put a metal spoon in your mouth while chopping. Putting bread in your mouth is yet another way that people stop from crying while cutting onions. Both methods shift your breathing from your nose to your mouth, which some believe may help prevent sulfur gas from getting into your eyes — though we suggest chilling your onion first and using your sharpest knife to really minimize tears.

As for storing onions to extend their shelf life, the best way to keep them fresh is by storing them in a dark place with plenty of air flow, essentially the same conditions used to cure them — just aim for a cooler environment, rather than a warm one. As odd as it sounds, the unexpected storage method that will keep onions fresh is to place them into pantyhose. The porous nature of the pantyhose will maximize airflow and keep them extra fresh if you twist between each vegetable and hang them somewhere dark and cool. While you might think that storing onions in the refrigerator will extend their shelf life, it will actually introduce humidity and soften them.