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Shallot -- Allium cepa (Aggregatum group)1
James M. Stephens2Shallot is a vegetable very similar to the common onion. "Cibol" is the Spanish name for the plant. "Scallion" is used somewhat interchangeably with "shallot," but the term "scallion" generally refers to any onion that is pulled young, before the bulb is formed.
Shallot. DESCRIPTION
Shallot is a perennial that produces a cluster of small pointed bulbs from a single planted bulb. The hollow, rounded leaves are up to 24 inches long. Bulbs are ¾ to 1½ inches in diameter and are of varying color -- red, pink, white, gray, or russet.Shallots are grown mainly for use as a green onion, particularly in the South. Also, they may be grown for the dry bulbs, which are more mild flavored than onions. While the shallot grows well in Florida, most of the U.S. commercial production is centered in southern Louisiana.
CULTURE
Shallots are started by division rather than from seeds. The bulb cluster contains several small bulbs called "cloves." Each bulb (clove) is surrounded by a thin leaf scale, rather than the entire group of cloves being enclosed in a membrane as is the case with garlic.To plant shallots, first separate the clump of bulbs and then set them in the soil with the point of the cloves 3-5 inches apart in the row. As the daughter bulbs and plants develop, some soil should be pushed around them to blanch (whiten) the lower portion of the stems.
USE
Some of the U.S. varieties acceptable for Florida gardeners are `Louisiana Pearl,' `Bayou Pearl,' and `Wilmington.' Plant them from September through March. Time from planting until use is about 3 months. Shallots may be used fresh, in salads, or in cooking.
Footnotes
1. This document is HS666, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date May 1994. Reviewed May 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.2. James M. Stephens, Professor, Horticultural Sciences Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
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