Regrow Grocery Store Red Onions For An Endless Supply Of Unique Flavor

Onions come in various colors and flavors. White onions, green onions, yellow onions, red onions — the list just goes on. If you shop for your own groceries, you likely already know that red onions are among the most expensive onions. And honestly, it makes sense. They have a uniquely sharp flavor and are best eaten raw. Plus, they don't store as well as yellow onions. However, you don't have to break the bank to get that red onion taste. You can regrow them yourself at home and eat the shoots — also called onion greens or onion tops — which retain the flavor. It's really easy! All you need is a firm, rot-free red onion from the grocery store and a jar of water.

The onions you bring home from the grocery store have completed the first year of their two year lifecycle. They have a growth bud buried deep within the fleshy bulb. If provided with water and light, this bud will sprout. If you want to grow red onion greens using this method, select the healthiest bulbs in the store. Choose onions that feel heavy, have unblemished papery skins, and don't smell. The bulb should still have some white roots at the base. If you can't process your store-bought red onions immediately, avoid the storage mistakes that can hurt your bulb's chance of success, such as storing them with ripe fruit or putting them somewhere warm, bright, damp, or unventilated. Once you have the best red onions for sprouting, it's time to try out this somewhat unusual way to use onions in and around your home.

Cut the end with roots off a red onion and place it, root-side down, atop the rim of a transparent container filled with water. You could use a glass jar, a drinking cup, or a plastic bottle with the top cut off. Only a small portion of the red onion trimming should be submerged or you risk it rotting. Use toothpicks to support the bulb if needed. Place your mini propagation station in a sunny spot in your home — a windowsill or open kitchen shelf is ideal. Soon, if all goes well, more roots will grow from the bottom of the red onion trimming into the water, and green shoots will sprout from the cut surface. Once you're satisfied with their length, remove the bulb from the container and use sharp kitchen scissors to cut off the onion greens for cooking.

You can also regrow a whole red onion instead of just part of the bulb. For this to work, you'll need to forgo the jar-and-water sprouting method and overwinter your store-bought onions indoors until next spring. Then plant the bulbs in a large container or a garden bed and allow them to sprout, bear flowers, and develop seeds. As mentioned, onions are biennial, and they only develop seeds in their second year, which is why winter storage is necessary. Sow the collected seeds in your garden in early March through mid-April, depending on your location. If you're wondering how long it might take to grow onions from seed, you might not be happy with the answer. You're looking at about 10 months from sowing to harvest.