[Alec Powell]

Being the lazy blighter that I am, I'm after some way of using all my surplus,(small), shallots from this year that doesn't involve peeling the little blighters.
Can I make stock from them, for example, by just boiling them up and pushing them through a sieve?
The best of the crop goes as seed for next year. Don't ask me what variety they are as I got them off one of the old boys who has been growing them for years.
Garlic showing its heads as are the overwintering broad beans!
Have fun
Alec

[GrannieAnnie]

Don't see why you can't boil them for stock Alec, maybe once boiled, the pureed shallots will squeeze out of their skins a bit like garlic does when roasted?  or maybe roast them instead of boil?  May be get more flavour that way?

[arugula]

Some would say that small shallots make the best seed as small shallots produce a small number of divisions giving larger child shallots, where large seed do the opposite and produce many divisions of small child shallots.

[GrannieAnnie]

They do say that!  I'm savings my smallest ones to try for the first time next year. 

[arugula]

Yes, I did some reasonably extensive research previously in order to find out which ones to save. I know the OP asked for recipes, but maybe using the small ones as seed is the best way.

[Alec Powell]

Yes, I did some reasonably extensive research previously in order to find out which ones to save. I know the OP asked for recipes, but maybe using the small ones as seed is the best way.

All very interesting! I think we'll do a little experimenting ourselves and plant 50-50 large and small. Still have a lot of small ones for the pot though.
Roll on 21st Dec, (plant on the shortest day crop on the longest - always seems to work for me )
Cheers,
Alec

[Alec Powell]

Don't see why you can't boil them for stock Alec, maybe once boiled, the pureed shallots will squeeze out of their skins a bit like garlic does when roasted?  or maybe roast them instead of boil?  May be get more flavour that way?

Thanks for this Annie. Only problem is that although I'm a pretty good allotment grower I'm a lousy cook.
Can't ask SWMBO as she'll take over so how long do I roast them for? (Don't want to burn the house down or I'll be living on me plot )
Cheers,
Alec

[Mrs Bee]

If you do a tray of roast veg and add the shallots in their skins, that should work well.

Drizzle the veg with oil, seasoning and fresh thyme or any other herbs you have have, a squeeze of lemon juice and roast at about 180 for about an hour or slightly longer.

Perhaps a sprinkle of sugar, honey or maple syrup too.

[allotmentann]

You are not as lazy as me, I won't even grow them as I know that I can't be bothered to peel them!

[Growster...]

Mrs Growster has banned shallots for the Patch - and the plot, next year!

I rather like growing them, but she gets fed up with preparing them, so I reckon I'll grow some more salsify instead, because that has been majestic this year, and we're on a roll with it!

I hope to try those damn great big onions Marshalls sell, again, as back in the nineteen-eighties, they turned out to be monsters, and lasted for ages!

[allotmentann]

Mrs Growster has banned shallots for the Patch - and the plot, next year!

I rather like growing them, but she gets fed up with preparing them, so I reckon I'll grow some more salsify instead, because that has been majestic this year, and we're on a roll with it!

I hope to try those damn great big onions Marshalls sell, again, as back in the nineteen-eighties, they turned out to be monsters, and lasted for ages!

Ah! I am glad that I am not alone! Would those big onions be Kelsey? A fellow plot holder had some huge onions this year. I commented on how well he had done and he said 'No, they are really small! they are usually two pounds each!' That sounds like my sort of onion!

[BigPaddy]

Confiture of shallots. Make the effort and peel them it is fantastic and so rare.

People will love you and vet for you as their police commissioner and any other dreams you have not had will come true.

Really.

BP

[Growster...]

I'm pretty sure they were Marshalls 'Showmaster', Ann, because they were pretty expensive back in 1987...

Might try them again though, as they were enormous and ate well, but at around 27p a set now, your eyes water twice...

;0)

[allotmentann]

  That is expensive! But then again - if you can make french onion soup with one onion, maybe not!

Confiture of shallots. Make the effort and peel them it is fantastic and so rare.

People will love you and vet for you as their police commissioner and any other dreams you have not had will come true.

Really.

BP

Do you have a recipe for that? 

[Growster...]

It's more the challenge, Ann, because let's face it, onions are pretty cheap to buy, and although - yes, we may all run out of veg by the end of the winter, it is nice to see something growing big and strong occasionally!

Our shallots were pathetic this year!