[marie]

please could somebody help as i have never grown shallots until this year. when do i lift them and do i dry them as for onions?

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Marie, Yes in a word!!!! lol.  I treat my shallots just the same as my onions, but once they are dried off a bit after lifting, they don't stay very long as I pickle them all.  Last year's lasted all year and I gave some to my daughter and brother as well.

I also saved some to replant this year like the books say, but I am quite disappointed in them.  Whereas last year I had 10 or so shallots on each plant, this year some of them are only the one shallot, but most are only 3 or 4.  Don't know why, the shallots I saved looked quite good.

[lentil987]

Lift them when the leaves turn yellow and start to wilt. Mine have done that now so I am planning to lift them this weekend.
Split them up and leave them to dry before storing them.

[Heather_S]

mine are taking forever to dry out totally   They're otherwise lovely. I bought my "seed" shallots at a stand at the local Potato Day