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Fruit and vegetables

Onions: what they are, how to pick and store them

Yellow onions are the all-purpose cooking onion and turn sweet as they brown; red onions are milder and colorful raw; white onions are sharp and crisp.

How to pick them

Firm onions with dry, papery skins. Skip soft spots, sprouts and any dampness at the neck.

How to store them

Keep whole onions in a cool, dry, dark place with air around them, away from potatoes. Refrigerate cut onion in a covered container and use it within a few days.

Out of onions? What to use instead

  • Another onion: The same amount. Yellow is the all-rounder; white is sharper and crisper; red is milder raw and adds color; sweet onions are mildest.
  • Shallots: The same amount, chopped. Milder and sweeter, with a hint of garlic.
  • Leeks: About 1½ times as much, white and light green parts. Milder and softer when cooked.
  • Onion powder: About 1 tsp for a small onion. The flavor without the texture or sweetness of cooked onion.

Swaps for onion, with what changes

Onions: cups to grams

Onion (chopped)
MeasureGrams
1 cup160 g
½ cup80 g
⅓ cup53 g
¼ cup40 g
1 tablespoon10 g
1 teaspoon3.3 g

Weights from USDA FoodData Central. Onion: converter and grams to cups

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Pick and store tips are in our own words. Storage times and safe temperatures are only shown where a U.S. government source gives them, named on each line; for anything not listed here, see USDA's FoodKeeper app.