Kitchen Tips: Are you also buying rotten onions in the market? Learn from nutritionist 5 surefire tricks to identify fresh and healthy onions.

New Delhi. It is difficult to imagine any delicious vegetable without onion in Indian kitchen. Apart from enhancing the taste, onion is also very beneficial for our health. But do you always buy correct and fresh onions from the market? Many times we unknowingly buy onions which are rotten or moldy from inside, which can cause great harm to our health. America’s famous nutritionist Simone Haroonian, quoting from the ‘Health’ website, has given some very easy and accurate ways to choose fresh and nutrition-rich onions. Let us know how to identify the right onion in the market. Feel it, buy only hard and heavy onions. According to experts, always choose such onions which feel hard to touch, solid and heavy in weight. If the onion feels soft or flabby when you press it lightly, then understand that it has started rotting from inside. Usually this happens due to neck rot of onion, which is a type of fungus that grows after harvesting. Although it is not very dangerous, it can cause allergies or lung infections in sensitive people. Keep a close eye on dry peel and spots. The dry outer layer of onion acts as a natural protective shield to protect it from bacteria and germs. The peel of fresh onion should be completely dry and moisture-free, which should make a rustling sound when touched. Apart from this, the neck (upper part) of the onion should also be dry and completely sealed. If black spots or dark marks are seen on onions, do not buy them at all because it can be a sign of black mold. Avoid buying sprouted onions. Often such onions are seen in the market which have green sprouts growing from their upper part. One should avoid buying such onions. Sprouting simply means that the onion has become old and its quality and shelf life is on the verge of ending. Although these onions are edible, their taste becomes slightly bitter. Instead of eating them raw in salad, it is better to cook them in vegetables. Sour or strange smell is a warning sign. When onion is cut, there is a strong smell that brings water to the eyes, but if there is any pungent, sour or strange smell like vinegar coming from unpeeled whole onion, then it is a big sign of danger. This means that the onion has rotted from inside and a dangerous bacteria called ‘Burkholderia cepacia’ has grown in it. Consuming such onions can be very harmful for people with weak immunity. How to store them at home so that they do not spoil for months? After choosing the right onion, it is equally important to store it properly so that it can get its complete nutrition. Onion is low in calories and rich in fiber. These should always be kept in a cool, dry, ventilated and dark place. Most importantly, never store onions with other fruits and vegetables (like potatoes or apples). Many fruits release ‘ethylene gas’, on coming in contact with which onions start spoiling and rotting very quickly.