12/10/2019
Is It Safe To Leave Cut Onions Overnight? How Safe Are Onions?
There have been some misconceptions regarding the safety of cut onions left out in the open overnight. Some of these are of the thought that when you leave cut onions out in the open overnight, they ‘absorb’ bacteria, they become ‘poisonous’ and you could die from eating cut onions left overnight, even in the fridge. This is not the correct presentation of what actually happens.
Really, the truth is all foods contain water, even the foods that appear to be extremely dry. The amount of water in the food determines how susceptible it will be to the activity of microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, molds). Foods that contain lower amounts of water would be less susceptible to the activity of microorganisms while those that contain higher amounts of water would be more exposed to the activity of microorganisms. Onion is one of the foods that has a high water content (89% water). This exposes it enormously to microbial activity. And any other food with such high water content would be exposed to just as much microbial activity or even more. The microbial activity would lead to contamination and subsequent spoilage.
Irregardless, cutting onions and leaving it overnight before use does not pose any significant health risk if appropriate safe food handling techniques are employed during cutting and storage. Washing your hands and surfaces that would come into contact with the onion before handling the onion (or vegetable or any food at all) will significantly reduce the chances of contamination of the onion. Also, store them in a tightly sealed container in a refrigerator… it is safer there than openly on the kitchen counter . In the fridge, cut onions can stay for about 7 days. Even so, it is better to use stored cut onions within a day or two.
There have been a few cases where some people have had allergic reactions to onion. In some extreme cases, some people have allergic reactions just by touching onions. Nonetheless, there are fairly common cases of intolerance to raw onions in some people. Symptoms of onion intolerance have included stomach upset, gas and heartburn. Further, people with irritable bowel syndrome are advised to stay away from onions as consumption may lead to unpleasant digestive symptoms like diarrhea, gas and bloating.
Undoubtedly, not all animals can handle all the components of onions. Some (like dogs, cats, horses, monkeys) might even die as a result of onion consumption so if you have a pet, be advised to keep it away from onions.
Shelf Life Of Onions
The conditions under which onions are stored affect how long the onion will remain wholesome. Also, the storage conditions affect the amount of healthful chemicals onions contain. Onions should be stored in a well-ventilated place away from bright light. It should be away from bright light because the light will cause the antioxidants to lose their potency. Storing whole raw onions in plastic bags will make them go bad quickly.
When the shelf life of an onion is up, it begins to sprout. When stored well, whole raw onions should last about 60 to 90 days before they begin to sprout. It is important to note that the longer you store the onion, the more its antioxidant content reduces so don’t store them for too long to enjoy the healthful benefits of the antioxidants.
4 Important Tips On Onions
Leave the root end of the onion bulb whole to reduce the eye stinging that makes your eyes water when you cut onions.
Onions might taste bitter after sauteing because of the high heat so it is better to use low or medium heat while sauteing onions.
To keep the odor of onion out of your mouth, rinse your mouth with a 50% to 50% mixture of lemon juice and water.
To keep the odor of onion off your hands, rub an aluminium (or cast iron or carbon-steel) pot with salt with your hands
