Vegetable Gardening For Dummies by National Gardening Association

Author:National Gardening Association [Nardozzi, Charlie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119782094
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2021-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

Shallots

If you like the taste of onions or garlic but have a hard time getting them to grow, consider growing shallots (Allium cepa). They look like small onions, but their flavor is milder than any of their allium cousins — and growing them is a snap.

Shallots are an indispensable part of many French dishes. Substitute three to four shallots for each onion in recipes. Minced, they can be sautéed in wine and herb butter or used in a béarnaise sauce (ooh-la-la). A little candlelight, a little champagne, and voilà: Shallots become romantic.

Varieties include the traditional ‘Gray’ shallots with a yellow/gray skin and white, creamy-colored flesh, and red shallots such as ‘French Red’ with red skin and pink flesh. Shallots are usually purchased as sets (similar to onion sets), but recently shallot seeds have become available in many varieties such as ‘Pikant’ and ‘Ambition,’ allowing you to grow more shallots at a lower cost.

Plant shallot seed or sets as you would onion seed or sets (Chapter 6). They can be grown in spring or fall and will overwinter in all but the coldest winter climates. They require the same fertility and growing conditions as onions. About 90 days after planting in the garden, the tops will brown and die. Notice that one bulb sprouts four to five side bulbs around it. Separate the side bulbs and dry and store these as you would onions.

Save some of the largest shallots for a fall or spring planting, and you’ll never have to buy shallots again — that is, if you can resist eating them all.

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