peeling shallots

[trish60]

In last month`s Waitrose mag there was a shallot in port recipe by Hugh F.W. Don`t know whether I would bother to do the recipe again although it was delicious cold but he gave the tip to boil a saucepan of water, put in the shallots for 45seconds then plunge into ice cold water.
He said the skin would then rub off under cold running water which I didn`t find worked
But it makes them SO much easier to peel.

[frias]

Hello trish60. I've never tried that method but do find the secret to onions and shallots is a very sharp knive. Blunt knives cause bruising which makes the onion/shallot weep and the peeler cry!
You must be in the posher part of Bournemouth shopping at Waitrose.

[Glutton4...]

I have one of those rubber tube sleeve-type Garlic peelers. It works fine for Garlic, I'll have to try it for Shallots. I don't often use Shallots as they're such a faff to peel, but I love 'em!

[organic]

frias
I'm right there with sharp knives.
If the edge doesn't split a few atoms when you move it through the air or slight through some food, it's not sharp enough!

Glutton
I've never heard of such a thing. How's that work then?


Oh - and when I was a line cook I used to go through loads of shallots. I can't remember if I had a particular technique but I don't recall having much trouble with them - and I used to cut them as and when they were needed so it's not that they were done en masse at the start of the shift either. If I remember how I did them I'll post something up.

[Glutton4...]

...Glutton
I've never heard of such a thing. How's that work then? ...

It is a small tube of rubbery plastic. You pop the Garlic clove inside, place your hand on the tube and rub it back and forth. The papery skin comes off and the clove comes out clean. It's a little easier if you top and tail them first.

Saw them in a supermarket about five years ago and bought one out of curiosity. It works very well, and is easy to wash after use, which is a big plus as far as I'm concerned.

[organic]

I could actually see myself getting one of those. Ordinarily I'm pretty quick at getting the skin of garlic, but this year I'm hoping to have a surplus for canning. If I do I'd like to make up some big batches of sauce and the likes and in that case I think a quicker way to peel garlic en masse would be handy.
I'll keep an eye open for one.

[trish60]

Hello trish60. I've never tried that method but do find the secret to onions and shallots is a very sharp knive. Blunt knives cause bruising which makes the onion/shallot weep and the peeler cry!
You must be in the posher part of Bournemouth shopping at Waitrose.

Waitrose magazine is free if you have a John Lewis credit card which also gives you 1% back in vouchers which is better than nothing.
I shop at Waitrose at winton which is not very posh at all. I shop in the evenings when you get fantastic bargains.
Last week I got cheese for £2.50 a kilo, steak mince for 3.00 a kilo & various fruit & veg for 20p.
PS I got the shallots for 40p a kilo from the coop in kinson. I am not loyal to any particular supermarket.

[frias]

Waitrose magazine is free if you have a John Lewis credit card which also gives you 1% back in vouchers which is better than nothing.
I shop at Waitrose at winton which is not very posh at all. I shop in the evenings when you get fantastic bargains.
Last week I got cheese for £2.50 a kilo, steak mince for 3.00 a kilo & various fruit & veg for 20p.
PS I got the shallots for 40p a kilo from the coop in kinson. I am not loyal to any particular supermarket.

Just joking Trish. I know Waitrose is in Winton but I find it very expensive. Never gone there in the evening though. Veg for 20p sounds good especially as I have chooks. With Sainsburys and Asda at Castlepoint and Tesco just down the road, I'm not loyal to one supermarket either!

[trish60]

Just joking Trish. I know Waitrose is in Winton but I find it very expensive. Never gone there in the evening though. Veg for 20p sounds good especially as I have chooks. With Sainsburys and Asda at Castlepoint and Tesco just down the road, I'm not loyal to one supermarket either!

So sorry. Read my post back & it sounded much more snooty than I meant it to.
We are very lucky here with about 15 supermarkets within 4 miles.
Tonight I went to Tesco`s at Tower Park & they were further reducing their reduced veg so cucumber was 10p, raspberries 20p, hummus 15p,shallots 10p & another 15 fruit & veg for under 25p.
I also bought a pieris, choisya, camellia,azelia,viburmum reduced from £3 to 60p.
They really needed water so I felt really good rescuing them.