Julia Child's Pantyhose Method For Storing Onions Honestly Makes So Much Sense

Folks come up with all sorts of wacky kitchen hacks these days. Sometimes they amount to complete fiction, but occasionally, there's a trick that works and just screams "practical." Anyone who has ever tried — and failed — to keep onions in tip-top shape for weeks on end knows it can be easier said than done. Surprisingly, one old-school solution to prevent them from decaying is storing them in pantyhose. That's right, a simple pair of tights can keep your onions looking their best.

This advice comes straight from the chef who taught us how to boil a tender hard-boiled egg and make the creamiest pumpkin pie ever, Julia Child. As the story goes, a colleague of Child's asked the chef how to store some onions they had received as a gift. Child handed them a pair of pantyhose and suggested the veg would store well inside them if they were placed in a basement.

All that's required to make this strategy work is to place an onion in one of the legs, tie a knot above it, and repeat that process until you have something resembling a pantyhose-covered string of pearls. When you need to use one, you just cut the leggings above the veg on the bottom of the string (but below the first knot), and voilà, a pristine onion is at your disposal. If this seems too odd to be true or if Julia Child isn't a trustworthy enough source for you, the National Onion Association also recommends storing onions in pantyhose.

The logic behind Julia Child's storage trick is that the fine, meshed material in hosiery allows air to circulate freely around the produce, as onions crave adequate air flow. As for the knots between each one, it prevents the veggies from touching one another, which keeps air flowing around the entire surface and inhibits an onion's natural enemy: moisture. As a bonus to keeping them fresher longer, you can save storage space with this technique by hanging the onions somewhere instead of giving them dedicated shelf space. 

Of course, where you store the string of veggies is crucial. No amount of hosiery will keep them fresh if you let them sit in a sunny area on your counter. A basement or pantry is ideal; anywhere that's cool, dark, and dry. Avoid the mistake of storing onions near potatoes, as the moisture from potatoes will accelerate rotting in the onion while the ethylene released from the onions will do the same to spuds.

One exception to the pantyhose storage method is sweet onions. Because of their high moisture content, storing them in the refrigerator better prevents decay. If you find yourself with Walla Walla or Maui onions, store them in the fridge wrapped in a paper towel to lengthen their shelf life.