Onion options for the pantry

[Crosscut]

I forgot to pick up onions at the grocery last week, and to make things worse when I did realize it I then also forgot to tell the wife I forgot the onions.   Fast forward a few days and the Mrs is making spaghetti sauce and asks where the onions are..., and you can guess how the rest of that conversation went.   The nearest grocery store is 14 miles away, and my suggestions of just using onion powder or a little dried onion soup mix didn't go over well so an hour (and two gallons of gas) later I got home with the onions.

So I'm here to seek the collective wisdom.  I tried looking for canned or jarred onions (that aren't pickled) and didn't see much other than cocktail onions, so started looking at dehydrated or freeze dried ones like Augason Farms, but opening a 25 year shelf-life #10 can for one onion and letting the rest expire within a year or so (because we prefer fresh onions) is an expensive option.  Now I'll probably buy a can or two of them for the ZPAW, but not sure opening one before then makes sense.  I'm looking at these, which are much cheaper per pound but obviously aren't going to store as well so thinking about repackaging them into 4-6 smaller packages (like pint jars) so we've got an acceptable alternative for the non-PAW that'll last a few years in storage.  Should add I'd prefer chopped or diced if canned whole ones aren't available rather then the minced onion flakes sold more as a spice.   What do you think, or what are you doing?

[flybynight]

We've kept them in basement all winter before


https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-store-onions-1389144

[CG]

All I know is, if you decide to dehydrate your own, DON'T do it in the house.   

[Crosscut]

We've kept them in basement all winter before


https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-store-onions-1389144

Our pantry is on the lower level (backfilled, but not a true basement), but the pantry is really just a closet with shelving for dry and canned goods currently.  It does have a vent to the outside inside the closet (have to let some air in with ICF) which does help keep it cool in there in the winter.  While I was looking for more shelf-stable ideas I think I will try a variation the pantyhose idea at that link, using small muslin drawstring bags with one onion each and hung from brass hooks in the pantry.