How to dry shallots and onions

[Pies]

Me again.Im reading conflicting advise on drying shallots.Some say leave in a dry shady airy place.Others say leave in full sun

So which is the correct method

Also when drying onions how do i know its fully dry and ready to store

Ive attached a piccy of my shallots now ive lifted them,for reference the bed is 8ft X 4ft.Not bad I think for a first try, I hope

Sorry forgot to add attachment

[Snadger]

The proper procedure I think is to ease the plant with a fork to break the roots once the leaves begin to yellow and fall over. After a while in the sun (I wish) but still in the ground, lift the shallots or onions, seperate them and dry them off in a sunny dry area (I use greenhouse).
Once fully dried they can either be plaited or put in to onion nets or tights and hung up in an airy, frost free position indoors!

Nice crop btw!

[rustylady]

You normally wait for the foliage to go dry and brown, and then ease the bulbs out of the ground. You can dry them in shade or sun, what is really important is that there is good air circulation round the bulbs so I usually put mine in a single layer on wire racks.

[Nykied]

I've put my one onion (so far) on top of the wire bit of a rabbit run I have for plant protection, with something over it in case it rains.

I think I read in a gardening mag this weekend that it takes a few days, but you'll know when the outer skin is all papery.

[maytreefrannie]

What a great crop!

I've used an old clothes horse, one with three horizontal layers of open 'trays' - it was pretty useless as a clothes horse but ideal for drying onions and garlic. I keep it under a perspex roofed thingy (no walls) just outside the kitchen. That way they get plenty of sun and wind.

Of course, I'd have a far smaller number than you have, but I guess sun, air and keeping dry works for whatever the size of crop.

Bon appetit!

[Pies]

Will this arrangement do?

[rogesse]

Ooh I hope so - I have a similar number laid out on the lawn and your method would be far more practical!

[Wren]

Or you can trim and skin, then an pop them straight in the freezer whole in bags, like i do. You can freeze chopped too. Then if you want to throw a handful into a stew or casserole, or chopped they are all there ready to use .
We are lucky now to have the modern technology we have that our ancestors would have loved to have owned, we don't have to dry and hang them any more if we don't want too or if you lack the room. I am sure our medieval sisters an brothers would have been in awe an made full use of a freezer to feed their family if only they had the chance. I love to see onions dried and hanging but there is no shame in taking advantage of modern technology . Same as they did.

Lovely harvest you have there!

Wren

[vegetable-gardener]

Drying Onions

We have lifted our winter onions and they are drying on the outdoor table we have. But how do others dry their onions?

[rustylady]

I use the "innards" of an old plastic blowaway greenhouse. The frame and shelves are used as greenhouse staging in the early part of the year, stand for hardening off plants around now, and as a drying rack for onions (among other things). As a greenhouse it was rubbish, had more use out of it since I gave up using it when the cover ripped for the third time.

[snakeshack]

I put the chicken wire that my early peas grow up over an old 2 seat garden bench then lay them on top for air circulation

[Lazgaot]

crikey, thats an amazing crop from such a small bed. Well done!! My shallotts this year (and last) were pants!

[Dane End Dolly]

I am drying mine on top of the mesh on my chicken run, gives the chooks some shade, the mesh allows air flow and it is in the sun. I bring them in if there is a chance of rain (ha ha)