How to Store Scallions in the Fridge

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Scallions, also called green onions, wilt and turn slimy faster than many vegetables when they are left loose in a warm kitchen. The main question for anyone learning how to store scallions is which refrigerator method to use and how long each one can be trusted. This guide compares the two extension methods found in university publications with a food guide that describes a similar approach. It also points out where the sources do not give a number, so that the reader does not assume a certainty the pages do not provide.

Quick answer

Damp paper towel method: trim the roots, dry the bunch, wrap the stalks in a damp paper towel, and place the bundle in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Purdue Extension says this keeps scallions for about a week.
Glass of water method: stand the bunch in a glass with water just covering the white bulbs, cover with a zip-top bag, and refrigerate. Illinois Extension says to change the water every few days.
Weekly check: the food guide advises unwrapping the bundle once a week and wiping off excess moisture.
Freezing: none of the three sources opened for this guide gives verified freezing steps for scallions, so this article does not supply them.

How we chose

The sources were chosen from web search results for refrigerator storage of green onions and scallions. Two university extension publications were prioritized, because extension material is written for home growers and cooks and usually names a method and a timeframe. The Purdue FoodLink onion sheet covers green onions and spring onions in a single table. The Illinois Extension handout is a fact sheet on onions that includes a green onion method. The third source is a food magazine guide, added because it describes the same two refrigerator methods in more detail than the extension handouts do.

Each source was opened on 2026-10-27, and the quoted wording was checked against the fetched text. The Michigan State University onion factsheet and the North Dakota State onion publication were found in search results but could not be opened in a usable form during checking, so they are not cited here as verified sources.

The damp paper towel method

Purdue Extension gives the clearest short method. Its onion sheet says to place green onions in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel and store them in the refrigerator for about a week. The same sheet adds that leaves that have shriveled or turned yellow should not be used. This is a simple routine that suits a home refrigerator because it needs only a bag and a paper towel.

The food guide describes the same method with more steps. It says to remove the rubber band the bunch came with and rinse the scallions thoroughly. After patting them dry, the guide says to cut off the roots, chop the stalks in half, and wrap the cut pieces in a paper towel so the cut areas are covered but not squashed. The bundle then goes into a small plastic bag. The guide also says not to store anything on top of the bundle, because weight can crush the stalks.

The food guide’s advice to unwrap the bundle once a week and wipe off excess moisture is useful with this method. Moisture that collects inside a closed bag can lead to soft spots, so checking the paper towel and the bag is part of the routine rather than an optional step. The sources do not say how much moisture is too much, so the reader should judge by feel and appearance.

The glass of water method

Illinois Extension describes a different approach. The handout says to add green onions to a glass, fill it with water just covering the white bulbs, cover with a zip-top bag, and refrigerate. It then advises changing the water every few days to keep onions crisp, sometimes up to two weeks. The method is closer to how a bunch of cut flowers is kept, and it keeps the stalks upright and hydrated.

The food guide also describes the water approach. It says that the roots can be submerged in a glass jar filled with cold water, about an inch of water, arranged like a bouquet, and the jar placed inside a plastic bag with the opening facing up. The guide’s description and the Illinois description share the same main steps, and both depend on the water being changed on a regular schedule.

The two extension-based figures differ. Purdue gives “about a week” for the paper towel method, and Illinois gives “sometimes up to two weeks” for the water method, with the caveat that the water must be changed every few days. A reader who wants the longer time should choose the water method and keep the schedule. A reader who wants a simpler setup can use the paper towel method and plan to use the scallions within about a week.

Keeping scallions crisp and avoiding slime

The main practical risk in both methods is excess moisture. The food guide notes that a closed bag holds moisture, which is why the paper towel should be damp rather than wet and why the bundle should be unwrapped and wiped each week. In the water method, the risk is the water itself. Changing it every few days, as Illinois advises, removes the stale water that can build up in the glass.

Trimming matters as well. Cut only what you plan to use soon. The sources reviewed for this guide say to keep the stalks intact until use, and they describe the roots as the part that is removed first when preparing the bundle for storage. The guidance on leaves is clear in the Purdue text: leaves that have shriveled or turned yellow should be discarded before use.

Rinse the scallions only before you store them, and dry them well. Wet leaves in a closed bag encourage the slime that many home cooks associate with spoiled scallions. The food guide says to pat the bunch completely dry after rinsing, which is consistent with the damp-but-not-wet instruction in the Purdue text.

Where scallions fit with other onion storage

Scallions are a fresh vegetable, and the storage methods above are for fresh bunches. Dry bulb onions are stored differently, and the site’s guide on how to store onions covers that separate case. Readers who are sorting a mixed harvest may find the broader how to store freshly harvested vegetables guide useful for deciding which crops belong in the refrigerator and which need a cooler or drier place.

Potatoes are another vegetable that should not be stored the same way as scallions. The guide on how to store potatoes is a useful companion for anyone who keeps both in the same kitchen, because the two crops have different needs and should be checked separately.

Freezing scallions

Freezing is a common way to use up a large bunch, but none of the three sources opened for this guide gives verified steps for freezing scallions. The Purdue onion sheet covers storage in the refrigerator and does not give a frozen-storage method in the section reviewed. The Illinois handout gives green onion storage in the fridge, and the food guide focuses on the refrigerator. Because of that gap, this article does not include freezing instructions, and the reader who wants them should check a university extension publication directly.

A search result from a site that was not opened for this guide suggested that frozen green onions lose their crispness, and that is a common observation. The sources opened here do not confirm it, so this article states it only as a point to check in a verified extension publication.

What we could not verify

This guide is based on web sources. No scallion storage method was tested during the preparation of this article, and no time range was measured. Each time range is the figure reported by the named source.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not give a verified freezing method for scallions, a verified maximum shelf life for the paper towel method beyond “about a week,” or a temperature range for the refrigerator. They also do not say whether scallions can be frozen in water, which is a common home approach, so that point is left unresolved. The number of days for the water method depends on how often the water is changed, and the sources give that schedule as “every few days” rather than a fixed count.

Frequently asked questions

Should I keep scallions in a bag or a glass of water?

Both methods are described by extension or food sources. The paper towel method in a bag is the Purdue Extension approach and is quick to set up. The glass of water method is the Illinois Extension approach and can keep the stalks crisp for longer if the water is changed every few days. Choose the method that fits the space in your refrigerator.

How long do scallions last in the refrigerator?

Purdue Extension says green onions in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel keep for about a week. Illinois Extension says that with the water method, the onions can stay crisp sometimes up to two weeks, provided the water is changed every few days.

Why do my scallions turn slimy in the fridge?

The food guide points to excess moisture in a closed bag as the usual cause, and advises drying the bunch well before storage and checking it weekly. Purdue Extension advises removing leaves that have shriveled or turned yellow before use.

Should I trim the roots before storing?

The food guide says to cut off the roots before wrapping the stalks in a damp paper towel. The Illinois method keeps the white bulbs in the water, so the roots stay submerged in the glass. Each method depends on its own setup, so follow the one you choose.

Can I freeze scallions for later use?

The sources opened for this guide do not give verified freezing steps for scallions. Check a university extension publication before freezing, and plan to use frozen scallions in cooked dishes rather than as a fresh garnish, since the sources do not describe how frozen scallions compare in texture.

Sources

Purdue Extension FoodLink, onion publication (Green Onions (Scallions) and Spring Onions). https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/includes/pubs/Print4perpaper/4vegetablesprint/4ONION2print.pdf (opened 2026-10-27). Quote: “Place in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel, and store in the refrigerator for about a week.” Claim: paper towel method for about one week.
University of Illinois Extension, onions handout (blog handout). https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/blog_handout_-_onions.pdf (opened 2026-10-27). Quote: “Change the water every few days to keep onions crisp, sometimes up to two weeks.” Claim: glass of water method with water changed every few days.
Food Republic, “How To Store Green Onions To Last Longer In The Fridge.” https://www.foodrepublic.com/1399205/how-to-store-green-onions-refrigerator-last-longer (opened 2026-10-27). Quote: “Keeping green onions fresh for over a week is simple and requires just a bit of water, a plastic bag, and either a paper towel or a glass jar.” Claim: two refrigerator methods, weekly moisture check and wrapping steps. Non-extension source.