On the shelves of supermarkets you can often find an unusual type of onion - shallots. In terms of its taste, it does not differ much from its closest relative, onions, but every housewife should know some of the features of growing and storing this product.
Differences from onions
Shallots are a biennial herb from the onion family. Outwardly, it rather strongly resembles the usual onion familiar to all housewives, because it has the same golden husk. But its bulbs are much smaller in size and have an elongated shape. In addition, the internal structure of shallots is more reminiscent of garlic, because it is divided into several medium-sized slices.
It will be useful for summer residents and gardeners to know that this type of plant gives much more juicy and fleshy green onion feathers than its close cousin. Even in the later periods of ripening, the leaves remain tender.
These two cultures also differ in their chemical properties. Its smell and taste are not so harsh, and the vapors released when cutting the onion practically do not irritate the eyes and do not cause tears. Shallots contain large amounts of vitamin C and many macro- and microelements such as calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, etc.
Features of growing and storage
This vegetable crop is very unpretentious and does not require colossal efforts to maintain. She feels great at an air temperature of 18-20 degrees, but at the same time it tolerates both the hottest days of summer and the first frosts (up to 5 degrees below zero). The frost resistance of the plant allows you to grow shallots even in the cold season on the windowsill or balcony right in your apartment. Of course, one should not expect a large harvest of bulbs in such conditions, but juicy greens will be on the table all year round.
The planted onion very quickly begins to form and separate small onions. On average, about 10 babies appear on one plant. The ripe crop is carefully pulled out of the ground, shaken out, divided into bulbs and the greens are cut off. The collected bulbs are dried in a dark, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight. It is best to store shallots, like any other onion, in boxes or cloth bags that allow for constant air circulation. But plastic bags can quickly lead to rotting of the bulbs, so it is preferable to refuse them.
How to cook shallots
Quite often, many very small onions form on large plants. They cannot be stored for a long time, as they can dry out rather quickly. Housewives prefer to pickle such onions for the winter with vinegar, sugar and salt.
The sweet and delicate flavor of shallots makes it possible to add them raw to salads without scalding. It will be an excellent addition to the worldwide popular Greek salad. Additionally, shallots can be used in all recipes that use regular onions. The taste will be less harsh, and when fried, it acquires a light caramel shade.
