6 Heirloom Onions You Can Grow for Winter Storage

As a home gardener, have you ever wish you could find an onion that keeps well, something you could cook with all winter long? Perhaps you’ve even tried storing onions in the fall, only to find the variety you chose didn’t keep well?

Today I want to give you 6 heirloom onions you can grow for winter storage. For centuries, women have relied on these “winter keeper” onions to feed and doctor their families throughout the winter months.

We’re going to specifically look at long day, heirloom onions!

 

What is An Heirloom Onion?

Heirloom vegetables are old varieties that reproduce true to type. If you let your onion plants go to seed in their second year (onions are biennial) and collect for next year’s planting, those seeds will produce the exact same onion the following year. Provide they didn’t cross pollinate with another plant in the same family, that is!

Hybrid onions, on the other hand, are created by crossing 2 different types of onion to get a specific result. While you can seed save from hybrid onions, you never know exactly what you’re going to get the following year, because the plant (usually) reverts to the characteristics of one parenting plant.

Sometimes the result is interesting. Other times, it creates a strange and inedible vegetable. If you’re interested in saving your own onion seed, heirloom plants are the way to go!

 

Should I Choose Heirloom Onion Seeds or Sets?

As you may have already guessed, heirloom onions aren’t easy to source. While I do list types and places you can purchase heirloom storage onion seed, sets (or bulbs) are difficult to find.

This means you usually have to grow heirloom onions from seed. And starting onions from seed is a task you have to plan for! When it comes to seed starting onions, you only have 2 choices:

1. You can start heirloom onion seeds indoors 2-3 months before planting time and eventually transplant starts out into the garden.

2. You can direct sow seeds in your garden mid-summer, grow small onions sets and overwinter them indoors for next year’s planting.

I’m currently experimenting with the latter option and hope to find the sweet spot so I can easily grow my own sets from seed in the vegetable garden. But that’s another post for another day!

 

Heirloom Onions You Can Grow for Winter Storage

While it does take work to set yourself up with heirloom onions, I think it’s worth the extra hassle. Here are 6, long day heirloom onions you can grow for winter storage.

 

1. Australian Brown Onion

Characteristics

1. Color: yellow

2. Shape: globe

3. Storage Life: excellent

4. Other characteristics: slow to bolt and grows well in clay soil

5. Buy it at: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

    

2. Borettana Onion

Characteristics

1. Color: Yellow

2. Shape: flat cylinder

3. Storage Life: 5 months

4. Other Characteristics: sweeter in flavor than most

5. Get it here: Mary’s Heirloom Seeds

    

3. Stuttgarter Onion

1. Color: Light Brown

2. Shape: globe

3. Keeping Qualities: excellent

4. Other characteristics: matures earlier than most

5. Get it here: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

    

4. Rossa d’Inverno Rubio

Characteristics

1. Color: red

2. Shape: globe

3. Storage Life: 5-6 months

4. Other Characteristics: unusually beautiful onion

5. Buy Seed: Johnny’s Seeds

    

5. Whethersfield Red Onion

Characteristics

1. Color: red

2. Shape: globe

3. Storage Life: 5-6 months

4. Other Characteristics: fine grained onion

5. Buy Seed: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

    

6. Jaune Paille Des Vertus

Characteristics

1. Color: brown

2. Shape: Globe with flat bottom

3. Storage Life: excellent

4. Other Characteristics: can be shipped to CA but not the USA

5. Buy Seed: Eagle Ridge Seeds

While I took time to my research on all of the above onions, I still can’t pronounce most of their names. So don’t worry if you can’t either!

 

Heirloom Onions You Can Grow for Winter Storage

If you’re looking for heirloom onions you can grow for winter storage, these are excellent choices. And whether you grow your own sets for replanting the following year (I show you how to plant onion sets here), or sow seed in early spring for a full harvest that fall, these onions are sure to please and keep well over the winter months!

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