French Shallots

Description

French shallot (the true gourmet banana-type, also known as Griselle or French gray) is the gold standard for home gardeners who crave that refined, elegant onion flavor professional chefs obsess over. These elongated, 2–4 inch teardrop-shaped bulbs wear thin, papery coppery-rose to grayish-brown skins that give them a rustic, heirloom beauty in the garden and on the table. Planted in fall in Montrose, they multiply generously into clusters of 6–12 (sometimes more) medium to large cloves per bulb, delivering roughly 60–80 cloves per pound with outstanding uniformity and high yields even in our high-desert climate. The slender cloves peel quickly and cleanly once cured, revealing firm, rosy-purple tinged flesh. Harvest comes late June to mid-July when tops yellow and flop over; after proper curing and storage in a cool, dry place, French shallots keep an exceptional 8–12 months; often longer than many onions; making them a true year-round pantry staple.