The Best Way To Store Scallions

Emily Han
Emily Han
Emily Han is a Los Angeles-based recipe developer, educator, herbalist, and author of Wild Drinks & Cocktails and co-author of Wild Remedies. For recipes and classes, check out her personal site.
updated Mar 1, 2023
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Credit: Apartment Therapy

There’s nothing worse than pulling a bunch of scallions from the refrigerator and discovering that they’ve gone limp and slimy! With our CSA giving us heaps of spring onions these days, we realized we needed to find a better storage method. And we found it. The best way to store green onions (or scallions) is in a jar filled with water, in the refrigerator.

The Best Way to Store Scallions: Jar Method

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We’ve tried wrapping scallions in paper, plastic, and cloth, placing them in a bag or in a drawer, and finally discovered the jar method. Here’s how it works.

  1. Remove the rubber band around the green onions.
  2. Fill a glass jar up to an inch or two with water.
  3. Stand the scallions upright in the jar, root-end down.
  4. Cover everything with a plastic bag (it does not need to be sealed tightly).
  5. Keep in the refrigerator.

Stored this way, the scallions stay crisp for about a week. That means they’ll be ready for you when you’re craving scallion pancakes or eggs in scallion oil.

Credit: Apartment Therapy

Another Scallion Storage Method: Damp Paper Towels

You can also store green onions in a damp paper towel. Here’s how it works.

  1. Remove the rubber band from the scallions.
  2. Lightly dampen a couple sheets of paper towel. Make sure it’s just damp, not wet, which can cause spoiling.
  3. Place the scallions on the paper towel and fold it over to cover completely.
  4. Place inside a plastic bag or storage container.
  5. If the paper towel dries out, moisten it again.

How to Freeze Green Onions

Yes, you can freeze scallions to use later. They will last about 6 months frozen.

  1. Rinse and dry the green onions.
  2. Slice off the roots.
  3. Cut as desired, thinly sliced rounds or in longer sections to fit your container.
  4. Spread over a lined sheet and freeze for 2 hours.
  5. Remove and place the frozen scallion slices in a freezer bag or freezer container, seal completely removing any air, and then place back into the freezer.

Is this how you store scallions? Or have you found a better way?

Related: How To Store Fresh Herbs

(Images: Flickr member Tim Sackton licensed under Creative Commons, Emily Ho)

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