[Benny130]

]Just a couple of questions i hope someone can help me with?

So I have pulled my shallots  10 days or so ago and have them drying in an old plastic greenhouse with the door left open but how long should I leave them there for?

This is my first year so still learning fast and want to make the most of them but how and where should I store? Most have black marks on the papery skin. Should i pickle them all to preserve them now or will they keep....(even the ones with the black marks, which as I said is most!!!)

[compostqueen]

They look fine. As they dry off their skins become papery and you can gently rub this off with your two hands.  After that store them somewhere cool, dry and airy.  I keep mine in a wire basket so the air can circulate round them. I eat loads so mine aren't stored for long.

[Goosegirl]

They look great. What variety are they? As said in another thread on here, I grew Mikor which have done really wel, and Vigamor which did very poorly despite both being planted in the same raised bed at the same time with the same growing conditions. I love shallots in a casserole!

[JayG]

Looking good, but it appears that some of them have thicker necks than the others (sometimes it's because they have bolted, some just seem to be like that!)

As with onions, the thick necks are hard to dry out fully which can lead to rotting in storage so are best used first. 

[angelavdavis]

You have a pretty good crop there Benny, mine were almost all ruined with white rot 

I store mine in hessian sacks from Poundland, like CQ, mine don't get stored for long as they are used up pretty quickly.

[Benny130]

Thanks for the advice. Might pickle most and save the rest to use straight away 

[Goosegirl]

Mine have been drying out for about 2 weeks in my g'house. When do I cut the leaves off?

[GrannieAnnie]

I only dug mine up yesterday, but am really pleased with them.  A few had thick stems, but most of them are for pickling, and like already mentioned, I love them whole in a casserole!

[Goosegirl]

My ex-MIL used to make a delicious meal of onions in a creamy white sauce with bread and butter. I wonder what shallots would be like done the same way?

[GrannieAnnie]

Yummy probably!   

[sunshineband]

Once mine are dry they stay in a builder's bucket in the kitchen, as then they are always to hand for cooking.

The smallest ones get planted for the next round  

You must be pleased with those Benny -- they look good 

[lacewing]

Sunshine, why the small  ones for planting? I have put aside some of the largest bulbs as I thought I'd get better results.

[Benny130]

Once mine are dry they stay in a builder's bucket in the kitchen, as then they are always to hand for cooking.

The smallest ones get planted for the next round  

You must be pleased with those Benny -- they look good 

 

[sunshineband]

Sunshine, why the small  ones for planting? I have put aside some of the largest bulbs as I thought I'd get better results.

Funny thing with shallots. The smallest ones give you the best harvest the following year, whereas with garlic you plant the largest cloves.

'Tis true, trust me 

[compostqueen]

It's true!  I always plant the little hard nuggett ones first as I reckon I get better results, same with onion

I dug up more shallots yesterday and left them out on the plot to dry off a bit.  The ones I have been drying off had another rub yesterday to get loose skin off and tidy them up a bit