You've Been Storing Scallions Wrong This Whole Time

Facts: first, there's no reason that your scallions should wilt in the fridge faster than you can say Jack Robinson; second, it's easier than you'd think to become the reigning emperor of correct scallion storing. Whether your next scallion-related project is to make whipped scallion butter for mashed potatoes (you're welcome), or you're planning on a more adventurous foray into scallion red wine jam, inspired by Alex Guarnaschelli (via People), or you can't live without smearing freshly made scallion cream cheese onto your New York bagel (sorry, Montreal), there's no reason that your scallion left-overs need to see the inside of a compost bin. You are composting, aren't you? 

Are you simply tossing your scallions into your fridge's vegetable drawer, without protection? Could you possibly be guilty of saran wrapping your scallion leftovers in hopes that they'll last longer than 36 hours when refrigerated? You've been storing scallions wrong this whole time. Here's how to store your scallions in the fridge and keep them fresh until you actually want to use them, again. 

Kitchn has quite possibly tried all the scallion-storing methods out there and swears by this one. The key to extending your scallions' fridge life is to fill a glass with enough water to cover their roots. Then, place your scallions in the glass (sans any kind of rubber band) and, for extra protection, cover the glass and scallions in a plastic bag. Finally, pop your glass-scallion combo into your fridge. As they still say somewhere, we're sure, Bob's your uncle. 

A few tricks of the trade from the experts: MBG Health suggests that you change out the water every few days, similar to how you would care for a bouquet of flowers. Like flowers, scallions are living plants (light-bulb moment) that keep on living even after they've been removed from the ground. For its part, Kitchen Parade has found it helpful to trim the tops of scallions before storing, suggesting that not only will this optimize fridge space, but it will also help them "keep slightly longer." 

This life-changing scallion storing trick doesn't only work for scallions. You can also extend your leeks' fridge life this way, says MBG Health. There's no reason to think it wouldn't also be an effective storage method for chives and shallots.