Instinctual habit you need to stop doing when you get home from the shops

There's nothing worse than going to cook a hearty meal filled with onion and garlic, only to realise yours has gone mushy in the fridge.

There is a way to ensure this doesn't happen, and it's by forgoing the fridge altogether.

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Though it seems like a no-brainer to chuck your veggies in the fridge, doing so with your onions can expose them to moisture and cold temperatures, which in turn changes their starches into sugar and makes them go mushy and rotten quicker.

Doing the same to garlic ensures they begin to sprout, with this process reducing the natural sugars in the garlic and creating a bitter taste in the clove.

To avoid this, Amy Myrdal Miller from Fruitsandveggies.org suggests to put your onion and garlic somewhere that is the complete opposite.

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"Onions and garlic are also best stored in cool, dark environments, but it's also important the storage place is also a dry environment," she told The Express.

She added that onions and garlic have already been "cured" by the time we pick them up at the supermarket to wick away any surface moisture.

But this doesn't mean you can put them just anywhere.

Though it's fine to keep them out on the counter, you may want to avoid direct heat such as sunlight or heat from the stove or over, as that may also bring their expiration date forward.

But make sure that they are not situated near the fruit bowl. Miller advises, "Don't store them near or with fresh fruit for the same reason you don't want to store potatoes near fresh fruit. The ethylene can cause the onions and garlic to sprout."

Ethylene gas is a natural ripening agent that helps fruit ripen, but when too much is stored together it can cause excess amounts and cause other produce to ripen and spoil too quickly.

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You may think storing your garlic and onions near some sturdy potatoes may be the solution, but you'd be wrong.

"While onions and garlic pair well with potatoes from a flavour perspective, storing them together can cause your potatoes to take on the flavours of onions and garlic, which may not be desirable depending on what you're making with the potatoes," said Miller.

Miller says the ideal place to store your garlic and onions is in a cupboard or drawer, or anywhere that is cool, dry, and away from any heat or sunlight.

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To keep them even more fresh, you may want to remove them from any plastic packaging or netting that may accumulate moisture and instead keep them in a paper bag or basket to ensure there is more air circulation.

With these tips, your garlic and onions can last between two to five months, ensuring you'll always have the building blocks to delicious recipes when you need them.

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