Fresh green onions can go from crisp stalks to a limp, slimy bunch before you get through the package. Leaving them loose in the refrigerator doesn’t help, and keeping them trapped in too much moisture can make matters worse. A glass jar, a little water, and one simple change to how you refrigerate them can keep the stalks crisp for longer.
Green onions, also called scallions, need moisture to stay firm, but that doesn’t mean soaking the entire bunch. The trick is giving the roots access to water while protecting the green stalks inside the refrigerator.
Remove the rubber band first
Start by taking off any rubber bands or ties holding the bunch together.
Keeping scallions tightly bundled can trap moisture between the stalks and restrict airflow. It also makes it harder to spot a damaged stalk before it begins affecting the rest of the bunch.
Remove any slimy or badly damaged pieces before storing the remaining scallions.
Put the roots in a jar of water
Fill a glass jar with about one or two inches of water.
Stand the green onions upright with the white root ends submerged and the green stalks pointing up. You don’t need enough water to cover the onions themselves.
This gives the roots access to moisture without leaving the stalks sitting in water.
Cover them before they go into the refrigerator
Place a plastic bag over the top of the scallions and jar.
Don’t seal it tight around the jar. The cover helps protect the greens from the dry refrigerator air while the roots continue drawing water from below.
Put the entire jar in the refrigerator.
Stored this way, scallions can remain crisp for about a week, giving you more time to use them in eggs, soups, salads, stir-fries, and other dishes.
No jar? Use a damp paper towel
There’s another method if an upright jar won’t fit in your refrigerator.
Lightly dampen a couple of paper towels. They should feel moist rather than wet.
Lay the scallions on top, wrap the towels around them, and place the bundle inside a plastic bag or storage container.
Check the paper towel during storage. If it dries out, dampen it again.
Too much water can encourage spoilage, so don’t soak the towel.
Freeze the extras before they go bad
If you know you won’t finish the bunch, freeze the scallions instead of waiting for them to become slimy.
Wash them, dry them well, remove the roots, and cut the stalks into the size you normally use for cooking.
Spread the pieces across a lined tray and freeze them before transferring them to a freezer bag or container. Freezing them separately first helps prevent the pieces from becoming one solid clump.
Frozen scallions can be kept for around six months, although their texture changes after freezing. They’re better suited to cooked dishes than places where you want the crunch of fresh scallions.
A little water at the roots, protection around the greens, and a spot in the refrigerator. That’s the simple jar trick that can give a bunch of scallions more time before limp stalks and slime take over.
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