Crop of The Week: Shallot

• Shallots are often thought to be another variety of onion, but they are actually a species of their own. The shallot has a tapered shape and a fine-textured, coppery skin, which differentiates it from onions. Inside, shallots do not have concentric structures like onions, but are sectioned into cloves like garlic.

• Many people confuse shallots with green onions, scallions and leeks. The young green onion has a definite bulb formation with the same concentric arrangement the dry onion has. Scallions are shoots from the white onion varieties that are pulled before the bulb has formed. Leeks are similar in appearance to scallions but have flat leaves and the white stalk is thicker and longer.

• Shallots probably originated in Asia, traveling from there to India and the eastern Mediterranean. The name “shallot” comes from Ashkelon, a city in Israel where people in classical Greek times believed shallots originated. Crusaders brought them home as “valuable treasure.”

• Shallots have a flavor somewhat similar to that of onions, but sweeter and more refined. They are generally used more or less in place of onions, especially in French and Southeast Asian cuisine, and in restaurants in the U.S. that are influenced by French or Asian cooking methods.

• Raw shallots have a strong pungency, stronger than most onions. Their true character comes when lightly sauteed in butter until they are translucent in color or when used in gravies and creamy sauces. Any French cookbook, or for that matter any serious gastronomic cookbook, recommends using shallots for salad dressings, sauces, stews and even in roasts.

• When selecting shallots, they should be firm and heavy for their size, not dry and light, and should have no soft spots. Sprouting shallots are an indication of age and should be avoided. The younger (smaller) the shallot, the milder the taste. Large shallots will smell and taste more like their onion and garlic cousins.

• Most cooks buy only as many shallots as they will need for a particular recipe, but if you have an abundance of shallots, store them as you would any allium in a cool, dry, dark place with plenty of air circulation such as in a hanging metal mesh basket. If they sprout, you can still use them. Remove the bitter green sprouts if you don't want a strong onion flavor. Many cooks choose to include the sprouts and use them much like chives.

• Shallots may be chopped and frozen up to three months. However, when thawed, they will have the texture of a lightly sauteed shallot, so do not expect any crunch.

Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.