Damp Shallots

[forkinweeds]

Hello all. We've been drying out our shallots for a while now and thought they were all dry so popped them in a bag and brought them home to pickle and to store the rest in old stockings. Unfortunately with late nights at work, etc we just haven't got round to doing that and they've sat in our plastic carrier bag... 4 kilos of them!

We've just opened the bag and started putting them in to the stockings only to find that they smell really damp and feel a bit damp too. Have we ruined them all? Can we store them at all now? We've carried on putting them in the stockings... will they dry out properly now or is that it? Can we pickle them? We just don't know.... can anyone help?

I hope all our hard work hasn't been in vain.

[rustylady]

If you want to pickle them, then you can. Just make sure you cut out any dodgy bits. I was doing the same, trying to dry mine to store overwinter but the weather has been so bad they just got left in the shed and today I had to throw out a load of them as they had rotted.

[forkinweeds]

Thanks RustyLady

Looks like pickling for Christmas then rather than storing then.... boo. Not to worry. Learn for our mistakes and all that! Won't be sticking them in a carrier bag next year!

Sorry to hear about yours... gutting isn't it after all that effort and ground space.

Good luck for the rest of the year.

[Sue]

Forkinweeds
My shallots were going soft so I used Nigella Lawson's onion mush recipe to preserve them, so have now got lots of little pots of this lovely caramelly jammy onion stuff to use through the winter.
If you want the recipe, let me know.
Sue

[borage]

I'd love the recipe Sue, sounds like it would make a nice change from the red onion marmalade

[Sue]

Hi Borage
Here it is, dead easy to do, looks like an alarming amount of instructions but its basically slicing onions/shallots and cooking over a low heat for ages.

Onion Mush
Use to give depth and flavour to any recipe requiring an onion (or shallots)
Nigella Lawson says, freeze in 50g packets to equal one onion as required in recipes. She says she likes it so much often uses more than recipe calls for. Loves it on steak and for spag sauce, in sandwiches etc.

1kg onions or shallots
1 heaped tbsp lard or butter
and 3 tbsp olive oil or just use 4-5 tbsp olive oil
100 ml Marsala (if you haven't got that can use sherry)
Peel and slice onions/shallots very very thin, best using a food processor.
Put a very large, heavy-based saucepan on to a low heat, using a heat diffuser if you have one. Put in the larg or butter and oil and when it starts lmelting and warming up, but before any heat emanates or any sizzles can be heard, add the onions/shallots, press down with a wooden spoon, then sprinkle some salt over. Pour the marsala/sherry into a measuring jug and makie up to 175ml with boiling water and pour over the onions.
Cut out some tin foil and prss it down over the onions, shiny side down, to form a tight, low, lid. Then put on the pan lid and cook, very low for a good 2 hours.
Check after an hour, it shouldn't be hot enough for any burning or sticking. If using a diffuser and very heavy based saucepan you can give it a third hour.
When the onion/shallots taste completely cooked, very soft, take the llit and foil off and turn the heat up high to let all liquid bubble and burn off. When it's reduced and evaporated you should have a soft, think caramel-coloured mush.

Hope you like it as much as I do!
best wishes
Sue

[borage]

Thanks Sue, I am looking forward to trying this

[forkinweeds]

Thanks Sue... sounds like all is not lost then! Sounds yummy!