Friday's Rookie Topic VI: SHALLOTS

Friday's Rookie Topic: SHALLOTS

Want that onion flavor in your recipe, but don't want the taste to overpower the dish? Try shallots instead! Shallots are in the same family as onions, but are smaller and have a more delicate or mild taste than their onion cousins when cooked. Most often shallots have been associated with French cuisine and therefore have gained the reputation of being a gourmet ingredient. Unfortunately, the price at the supermarket reflects that! Grow them in your SFG and you will definitely enjoy their versatility in cooking and you will save money at the same time!



One unique characteristic of shallots (as compared to their onion relatives) is the way they grow. Plant one small shallot bulb and it will magically multiply and divide into a large cluster of 4 to 6 news ones! Keep this in mind when you plant them in your SFG.

History: The lineage of shallots is somewhat obscure, although some resources state that they originated in China. They are more widely grown and used in Europe, especially in France and the Mediterranean region. They have seen a rise in popularity in North America as home cooks try new recipes from their favorite chefs and as gardeners discover just how easy they are to grow.

Varieties: There are two main types of shallots: the gray shallot and the pink shallot (a.k.a. the "Jersey" shallot). Gray shallots have a thick gray skin, and a white or purplish flesh. Pink shallots come in several sub-varieties, with a range of skin colors from copper to purple. Dutch shallots fall into the latter type, although they are usually labeled as yellow.

Propagating shallots: Shallots can be started from seed, but most are started from the bulbs. These should be full-sized bulbs, not small sets like onions. There are several places to order shallots online. I ordered my first shallot bulbs from Territorial Seeds. You'll also find them at Burpee, Johnny's Selected Seeds and many other seed sites.


When to Plant: The ideal time to plant shallots is in the autumn before your first frost. They will have time to get established and will be among the first crops to come up in your garden the following spring. Forgot to plant them last fall? You can plant them in the spring as well, but they will be as large as fall planted ones. Some SFG'ers have also succeeded with a quasi-continuous harvest method...when they harvest a cluster, they replant one bulb. Just be sure to work in a little compost first to replenish the soil.

How to Plant shallots: Plant bulbs root-side down, leaving the tops above ground. If you bury the entire bulb, they have a tendency tend to rot. Planting them In Mel's Mix is so easy! Just push the upright bulb down into the loamy soil leaving those tops above the soil line. Plant them no more than 4 per square. Plant one per square if you want larger shallots or you are growing a larger variety.

Care through the season: Keep the soil moist but not saturated between rain showers. And don't be tempted to cover those bulbs with soil as they grow. They do not sunburn like garlic and they like their tops to be dry and free of soil.

About three-quarters through their growing season your shallots will send up a blossom stem. Cut these off so that the bulbs will continue to develop. Use the stems like green onions in recipes, or toss them around other plants to repel bugs.

Harvest: Shallots are ready to harvest for storage when the tops begin to yellow and fall over. The tops do not need to be totally yellowed. A second indication is the skins above ground will feel papery to the touch. Don't pull the shallots out of the soil by their tops, instead use a trowel and lift the clump of shallots from their square and then shake off the soil. You don't need to separate the cluster of bulbs at this time. Note: You can harvest a cluster of shallots to use any time after they look
large enough to eat, but use them within the week, because they will
not keep.

Here is my 2010 harvest just after I removed them from the garden. From the 20 bulbs I planted, I yielded about 93+ shallots!



Curing & Storing: Separate the clusters of bulbs and then lay out the shallots in a single layer in a dry place out of the direct sun. Leave them to cure for 3 to 4 weeks, occasionally moving them around to aid air circulation. A utility shelf or wooden pallet in your garage would work well. When the tops are dry and the skins papery, they are ready for storage.

Store your shallots in mesh bags in a dry, cool dark place and they will keep for up to a year. Pink shallots in general have a longer storage life. Be sure to set aside some of healthiest bulbs to plant next fall! If you make a practice of this, you will never have to buy shallot bulbs again. Tip: Save those plastic mesh bags from onions, lemons, etc. for storing your shallots.

Like green onions, young shallots and their green tops can be used in
recipes. Raw shallots can be quite pungent, but become much milder when
cooked or sautéed. Here are links to two of my favorite recipes using shallots:

Cubed Steak with Mushroom & Sherry Sauce

Sautéed Flounder (or Tilapia) with Orange-Shallot Sauce


More Info & Resources:
http://www.bigjohnsgarden.com/aboutgrowyourownshallots.html
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/growing-shallots.html
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/98-037.htm
http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/guidetogrowingshallot.html
http://growingtaste.com/vegetables/shallot.shtml

So if you haven't tried growing shallots yet, give them a square or two and enjoy!

~~~~~
pattipan

I must plant some this fall.

I forgot to add links for some sources for shallots bulbs/sets. Keep in mind that some of these places will not ship shallot sets until late summer (for fall planting):

http://www.territorialseed.com/

http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

http://www.tastefulgarden.com/

http://www.bigjohnsgarden.com/

http://www.ufseeds.com/


Feel free to post links for shallot bulb sources as you find them!

pattipan

My first shallots came from a 4" pot filled to capacity with seedlings. I was skeptical, not having heard of starting them from seed. The third time I walked by the stand I bought one. I've been in the shallot business ever since. Shallots and leeks are earthy vegetables that make me suspect that I might just be getting my investment in SFG'ning back. At up to 7+ dollars per pound I sure like counting how much wealth I am lavishing on that cheap cut of meat that I roast them with.

Trader Joe's puts a shallot into their "Guacamole Kit". A small to medium shallot is the perfect size for the kit. I find them to have a delicate garlic essence.

My husband loves them in pot roast (as a 17 year vegan I am shocked to see myself write that). After browning the meat I deglaze the pan with a dark red (the cherry essence of Merlot is awesome here but any dark red will work, so will bottled cherry juice (diluted with mushroom broth) if you do not do wine). A sprig of Rosemary, thyme (I don't really like lemon thyme in this but English or Balsam are yummy), chopped oregano and parsley with a sprinkle of lavender buds, cracked pepper and salt (or just salt that was infused with lavender buds in the same way you would make lavender sugar, I like pink sea salt for the pretty effect with the purple buds)

This is one roast that I do not add potatoes to. Instead I like Sweet potatoes or carrots and fennel or celery. A fresh bay leaf and a head of garlic (set on top of the beef to roast for the bread) rounds out the complex sauce that will result. (slow oven, 275 most of the afternoon, it also works in the crock-pot) While the roast rests I cook the pan juices down, no flour or corn starch, I'm not making gravy. When there is only about 1/3 of the juices left in the pan I add a pat of butter for the glisten it gives and taste for salt and pepper. If company is coming I also pour it through a sieve before serving. I have made this into a dazzling soup by cutting the roast into 2 inch cubes, S&P-flour coated, browning those, than adding the other ingredients (beef broth if I happen to have it, I hear you can buy good beef broth from Pacific soup company). For soup I tie the herbs together with string so that they are easy to fish out later. My guys like this soup served in sourdough cannon-balls.

Thanks for the info. I think I'll try putting in some shallots this fall.
Thanks.

quiltbea wrote:Thanks for the info. I think I'll try putting in some shallots this fall.
Thanks.

Hey, if you want to give them a try now there is still time to put them in, here in our region. They are not as long growing as onions are. I put some in last June and they did very well, with time to spare.

I have GOT to get more sfg boxes so I'll have room to try some of the great Friday Rookie Topic veggies that have been featured!!! Definitely want to try shallots. Thanks for the great information, pattipan! I love the Friday Rookie Topic and look forward to it every week!

Lavender Debs wrote:This is one roast that I do not add potatoes to. Instead I like Sweet potatoes or carrots and fennel or celery. A fresh bay leaf and a head of garlic (set on top of the beef to roast for the bread) rounds out the complex sauce that will result. (slow oven, 275 most of the afternoon, it also works in the crock-pot) While the roast rests I cook the pan juices down, no flour or corn starch, I'm not making gravy. When there is only about 1/3 of the juices left in the pan I add a pat of butter for the glisten it gives and taste for salt and pepper. If company is coming I also pour it through a sieve before serving. I have made this into a dazzling soup by cutting the roast into 2 inch cubes, S&P-flour coated, browning those, than adding the other ingredients (beef broth if I happen to have it, I hear you can buy good beef broth from Pacific soup company). For soup I tie the herbs together with string so that they are easy to fish out later. My guys like this soup served in sourdough cannon-balls.

This sounds soooooooo yummy, L-Debs! I love beef. We don't eat a lot of beef, mind you, so when I do make it, it is more of a treat. Your pot roast would go over well with my sons-in-law, I might try it!

I love cooking with wine too, it adds nuance of flavor that plain broth is missing. I am not a connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination. My rule is if I like to drink it, then I can cook with it.

pattipan

I agree with camprn -- go ahead and try a few bulbs. If you have to buy a pound, you can eat those you don't plant (assuming they are untreated) or save them for fall planting. Someone in another shallot thread asked about planting the store-bought kind. I might try it just out of pure curiosity. I might trying planting a bulb or two amongst my broccoli. They'll repel bugs, and even if they don't grow big, they will still be good eats!

pattipan

+2

I did it. I bought some shallots yesterday so today I will be planting them in my A-frame where I have some space left. I keep it open all summer so they will have the same conditions as if they were in my raised beds.

As soon as I get my 2 Beaverlodge Slicer determinate tomatoes in the A-frame, those shallots are getting planted.

Thanks for the information. Without it, I never would have started shallots.

I've got them in, four to a square.

Can you see them in the 2 front middle squares? Their shoulders are showing as instructed.

They are in my A-frame where I have radishes beside them, tomatoes hardening off in my pots, and even my 2 Beaverlodge Slicer toms have been planted in the A-frame on the outside edges.

It was the only place I had room to spare. All other squares are accounted for.

Thank so so much for the Friday topic. You swayed me to try them.

I'm so excited about my shallots - I love to cook with them! I've got them going in two squares in my SFG (which is only 4x4 this year - first time ). Thanks for a general overview - I'm planning on putting in more in the fall once I harvest the set I put in this spring. The shallots are the middle two squares one up from the bottom (those are onions farther back).

They're lookin' good, moswell! It's fascinating to watch them as they multiply and divide. I can't wait for harvest!

pattipan

I'm just now getting time to read this, great read! I'll definately give some a try next year.

My 2011 shallot harvest!



I pulled two of the sets a bit early, and got a bunch of really tiny shallots out of them. There are about 37 here, plus another fifteen-twenty little ones from before. So I think that's a great harvest for two squares' worth!

I'm pleased to hear it.
That's a good harvest in my book.

I planted 8 store-bought shallots in 2 sqs on 5/22 and they haven't grown at all. I'm disappointed. Nothing grew from the tops and I thought I planted them correctly; with the pointy end sticking up above the soil.
Maybe they were treated with something before they got to the store.

quiltbea wrote:I'm pleased to hear it.
That's a good harvest in my book.

I planted 8 store-bought shallots in 2 sqs on 5/22 and they haven't grown at all. I'm disappointed. Nothing grew from the tops and I thought I planted them correctly; with the pointy end sticking up above the soil.
Maybe they were treated with something before they got to the store.

Hmm, I guess they could be like store-bought potatoes, which are treated, right? That's too bad. I found shallot sets at a local garden store, and I think I got enough for the fall too. At any rate, I certainly have enough of my own to plant this fall for (hopefully) an earlier harvest next year.

Shallot Harvest 2011

Here's a picture I took of my shallots just before I harvested them. I planted 4 squares with 4 bulbs per square. You can see some of the clusters in this picture. Some clusters had 6 bulbs, some had 4. I forgot to count them, but even if my original 16 only produced 4 each, that still a lot of shallots!



Below is the harvest. Notice the little ones on the right side? Those were from four bulbs I planted in the Spring to replace some that didn't survive the winter. A good example of how planting in the Fall makes a difference! They'll taste just a good, though!


pattipan

Do we need to let them cure before planting again?

Wow, they look great. I can't wait to plant again in the fall - I'm already anticipating next year's crop, especially considering how well mine did planting them on April 1!

I'll be trying them this fall too. BJ's Warehouse has packs of onion sets (100 in a bag) and shallots (12 in a bag) for 59 cents! At that price, I figured I have to give them a try. They also had a 1 lb package of shallots in the produce dept for $2.99 which is far cheaper than I've seen them at the grocery store, if you can even find them. In this economy, they seem to be cutting back on their many things - fresh herbs are hard to find too (not that I need them).

mtowne wrote:I'll be trying them this fall too. BJ's Warehouse has packs of onion sets (100 in a bag) and shallots (12 in a bag) for 59 cents! At that price, I figured I have to give them a try. They also had a 1 lb package of shallots in the produce dept for $2.99 which is far cheaper than I've seen them at the grocery store, if you can even find them. In this economy, they seem to be cutting back on their many things - fresh herbs are hard to find too (not that I need them).

Ooh, I just recently got a membership to BJs - I'll have to check out the shallots in the produce dept since I certainly didn't grow enough to make it through the year without buying some in the store! Thanks for the tip! I don't think i need sets this fall since I got plenty of little shallots that I just pulled a bit too early.

Aub wrote:Do we need to let them cure before planting again?

I couldn't find any specific information on this, Aub. However, I would say yes to curing first, 'cause I'm thinking it would prevent rotting. If you think about it, most onion sets and shallot sets you purchase are cured, so curing first would be my best guess!

pattipan