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If Part Of The Onion Is Bad Can You Eat The Rest
Many times, onions feel and look normal from the outside but once you cut into them, some parts of it are brown in color or starting to rot. These parts might even smell but the rest of the onion looks, smells, and tastes fine. Thus you can cut out the brown parts and consume the rest of the onion.
If there is a big amount of a part of an onion that is not good, you are better off throwing out the entire onion, but if there is only a tiny bit of an onion that is not good, you can throw that out and eat the rest. The general rule is a bad onion will have discolored look and/or darkened, mushy spots. You can tell a bad white onion from browning or having dark spots from the mold growth.
If your white onion is limp, has brown or dark spots, has an unpleasant smell, or is starting to sprout, then it is probably spoiled and should be discarded. If you have trimmed the spoiled onion and you are still seeing mold growing inside, then you should toss it out immediately. The onion might have even grown mold, and will look slimy when you touch its surface.
The best part of onions is that you can peel off a layer at a time to get rid of black mould. It is OK to eat onions that have black mold The USDA says as long as you remove the parts with the mold. If it is just one part of an onion, however, you will usually save more onions by cutting out the areas that have black mold. If the onion has any kind of mould other than the black-spot mould that is very common on onions, like with a lot of fruits and vegetables, you are better off throwing it away.
There are a number of symptoms that can occur when eating a piece of pristine onion, so I explain what they are below, along with some other information on what black-spotted mold is on onions, as well as ways to lessen your chances of onions developing the mold. The only way to tell whether the mold on onions is potentially harmful is to get really familiar with different types of mold. I thought I would explain what happens if you accidentally eat moldy onions, or unaffected parts of moldy onions.
While onions are not particularly dangerous, moldy onions are no more likely than any other food to make you sick with food poisoning, even after going bad. Cooked onions that have gone bad will smell fishy and appear slimy. Chopped onions go bad as soon as they begin to produce foul-smelling smells and develop slimy textures.
Whole, chopped onions can turn bad in the refrigerator if you keep them for too long. You can keep whole onions in the refrigerator for around 1 to 2 months, but that might not be the best use of your refrigerator space. Chopped onions have even shorter shelf lives, staying in the fridge about 1 week before they start to degrade in quality. While cooked onions typically will last for several days in the refrigerator, they may spoil in one or two days if stored incorrectly.
| Types | Fridge | Freezer |
| Cooked | 3-5 days | 12 months |
| Uncooked | 10-14 days | 8 months |
The truth is, onions can turn bad if they are not stored properly, and they are left unutilized too long. While onions are one of the most commonly used vegetables, they can turn sour pretty fast when stored improperly. In a refrigerator, full onions can get watery quite easily, and from there, will quickly deteriorate.
Whole, uncooked onions will last longer in the fridge, however, a cold environment is not good for the skins — remember, they should be dry and crispy.
Chopped or chopped onions stored in the refrigerator will keep up to one week, and they should be used for cooking only, and never eaten raw, after you have left your chopped or chopped onions overnight in the refrigerator. Chopped raw onions will last for around a week in an airtight container or bag, but should be used ideally within a couple of days, and are best used for cooked dishes, for safety. Then, package smaller pieces into smaller portions that you can use all at once in a freezer bag.
To prevent onions from turning soft, peel off the outer skin layer after cutting, and thoroughly wash the onions. Cut off the brown parts and consider peeling off another layer or two to make sure no contaminants remain, then the remaining onions should be safe for consumption. If you think one of your onions might have some rot on it, then you should try and remove that portion and use the rest of the onion ASAP.
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In that case, too (as per photo, I mean), you may want to use any portion of your onion that has not developed any mold. If only a tiny bit of powdery silver-green mold is present, that can be removed, and you are still using the onion. If you see any powdery mold in the onions that is green or brown, throw out the onions, as these spores will be trapped in the bulbs, even when the outside is peeled off.
If it is simply mold, you can prolong the shelf life of moldy onions by wiping the mold away with a dry cloth, then keeping them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. You might find that a rotting onion is partially solid and still very fresh, and the smaller part has started to go bad, and you might not want to necessarily throw that away.
As long as the onion does not smell strongly like rotting, you can safely peel off the rotting layer and still use the part of the onion that is white.
If you notice any mold, black spots, an onion that is limp, smells weird, or has a slimy texture, the red onion is not good and you should toss it. Fresh onions always smell of onions, even if they are strong, but bad onions smell of decay or compost, or they have a sulphurous, acidic odor, which is a good indicator of something gone wrong. Chopped onions may start to develop mold, get black spots, or get discolored. In addition to the messy appearance, just like with any other organic food, rotten onions can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
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It is recommended that you peel off onion patches that look like soot, and keep your onions in the refrigerator once they are properly rinsed. You should be able to cook the remaining onions safely, provided that the flesh is still white and firm. You can also store the onions in a basket, in a sturdy container with no lid, or a paper bag, poking holes into them.
Is it OK to eat onion with brown inside?
When a bacterium or fungus enters the onion through the leaves at the top and infects the flesh, the onion turns brown within. Only one layer often experiences damage. As long as the onion is firm, the remaining onion should be fine to use in cooking.
What do spoiled onions taste like?
There won’t be any more of the caramelization’s sweet undertone; instead, there will be a bitter, rotting stench. Unavoidable and extremely strong, this stench. Depending on the state of decomposition, cooked onions that have gone rotten will also seem differently.
What happens if you eat a moldy onion?
Mildly impacted onions are fine to eat as long as they are firm and the mouldy region can be cut out. The unaffected area should be washed after removing the impacted layers and cutting an inch around the black area. But they shouldn’t be consumed by those who are allergic to aspergillus.