Homeschool Garden Club – Shallots

I really like growing shallots as they are quite easy – just pop in the ground and let them get on with it. They are also useful in the kitchen. I forgot to note down the variety I grow last year, which is a shame because they were highly successful and I am only now using the last of the shallots up.

This year, I am giving a French Shallot called ‘Mikor’ a try. I would love to try some different ones if anyone would like to swoop a few with me.

Shallots have a great flavour that can be used for cooking or pickling. You can put some side for Boxing Day and serve them alongside with the chutneys and pickles with the cold meats and cheese. There are many tempting varieties with bulbs in many shapes and sizes. Plants can be grown in any well-drained, fertile soil in a sunny position. They need a long growing period but can be inter planted with faster-growing crops.

Varieties recommended by the Homeschool Garden Club

As we tend to grow for the kitchen, nobody has grown shallots for competition yet, we are only recommending ones we liked cooking and eating.

'Longor' Shallot: Is good to cook with and stores well.

'Matador' Shallot: This gives you lots of shallots and stores well.

'Meloine' Shallot: another good one for storing.

Now is the time to sow as sets. Sets are really baby bulbs that have grown from seed. they are easy to grow as you buy them form the garden centre, pop them in the ground and away they go. they are really good for our cold weather.

Clear the area of weeds.

Add some good garden compost

Plant them 40cm apart from mid-November to March

Push them gently in and watch out for the birds as they like to come a long and pluck them out.

The crop can be harvest from later summer and early autumn. A few days just before you need them, bend the leaves over. Dig them out and leave them some were safe to dry out in the warm. When they are dry, you can rub gently to remove the loos skins and roots and plat them.

Stop them in a cool dry place.

Use them up in the kitchen as a everyday vegetable.