Shallots

cleaned and trimmed shallots
cleaned and trimmed shallots

Introduction

Shallots are deliciously sweet, and are great eaten raw added to salads, or as a flavouring in many cooked dishes. Shallots have excellent storage properties, and if kept in a cool and dry environment, should remain in good condition right through the winter.

Shallots are grown in a similar way to onions. They are typically planted as sets, or immature shallots, in early spring to provide a harvest from June onwards.

Planting

  • Planting depth: shallot tip just below surface
  • Planting spacing: 20 cm between shallots, 40 cm between rows

Harvesting

  • When the stalks yellow and start to fall, the shallots are ready for harvest
  • Lift the shallots with the stalks intact, and dry in the sun, before storing in a cool and dry environment
Sow
(inside)
Sow
(outside)
Harvest
(fresh)
Harvest
(stored)
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
= jar, = freeze, = store

Varieties

Shallots are very similar to onions and come in different shapes and colours, but there are some differences:

  • An individual shallot set will mature into a bunch of shallots, where as an individual onion set will produce a single mature onion
  • Shallots are typically smaller than onions
  • Shallots are not as hardy as onions and are planted slightly later in spring (but this varies on the variety) and are not overwintered
  • Shallots may have more disease resistance than onions
  • Shallots have a sweet taste that complements salads or hot dishes, and have excellent storage properties to keep through the winter
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Growing

If growing from seed, each seed will produce an individual shallot (and not a bunch). Whereas an individual shallot set (an immature shallot) will go on to grow a cluster of shallots.

To minimise weeding, and to help keep the soil moist, I like to plant shallots through biodegradable weed control fabric. Until they germinate, cover the shallot bed with a net to avoid birds lifting them out of the ground.

Shallots do not need a lot of watering, but the shallots will grow bigger if the soil is kept moist. I water my shallots on a weekly basis, and more often in hot weather.

When the shallot stems start to yellow and fall over the crop is ready for harvesting.

Shallots are well know for their storage ability, but they need to be dried first. This can be done by lifting the shallots from the ground and leaving them to dry on a shelf or table, or even on the ground in a period of hot weather. After a few days, the shallots can be moved to a cool and dry location (avoid damp air), either laid out on a tray or hung, where they should remain good for many months.

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