Organic French Shallot seed ' Crème Brûlée '
Allium cepa
105 days.Iridescent peachy pink skin covers uniform bulbs. Also called "banana shallots", eschalions are highly desired by chefs because their elongated bulbs are easy to peel and cut, and their sugar profile is perfectly suited for caramelizing. Long storage potential. Adaptation: 40–60° latitude. AAS Regional winner for the Southeast, West/Northwest.
Eschalots have a much sweeter, more intense and complex flavour than other onion varieties, and are used in more delicate cooking. Smaller than the average onion, they are also often consumed whole, pickled, braised or roasted.
They are typically chopped very finely and added to sauces and salsas, or as an accompaniment to a variety of meat and seafood.
Details:
Plant life cycle: annual
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 105 days
Seed depth: 1/8"
Plant spacing: 3-4"
Row spacing : 18-30"
Approx seeds per packet : 50
CULTURAL INFO
Onions (Allium cepa) are cool season biennials, members of the Amaryllidaceae family, which includes garlic, leeks, chives and scallions. Onions started from seed store better than sets, but mature later. Bulbing onions are dependent on day length for bulb production; short-day onions produce bulbs when they receive 11-12 hours of daylight, long-day onions need 14-16 hours (latitudes north of 35º), and moderate day onions like Walla Walla and Gladstone fall in between these.
Soil Nutrients and Requirements
Onions prefer soils rich in organic matter that are well-drained. Optimal pH is 6.2-6.8. They cannot tolerate acid soils, especially in early stages. 80 lbs/A nitrogen is recommended. Sidedress 4-5 weeks after planting. High levels of sulfur in the soil will increase pungency. Best results come from selecting a bed with the least weed pressure possible.
When to Sow
Days to maturity are from direct seeding, subtract 1-2 weeks if transplanting. Direct seed onions as soon as soil can be worked or start transplants 10-12 weeks before planting date. Sow thickly in flats or 1” cells, in singles, doubles or triples. When seedlings reach 5” trim to 1” to increase girth. Transplanting is recommended for short growing seasons and sweet onions. Optimal soil temperature for germination is 75-85°F.
Other Considerations
Onions compete poorly with weeds. Cultivate regularly to control weed pressure.
Harvest
For fresh eating, onions can be harvested whenever they reach desired size. Storage onions can be harvested when tops dry up and flop over. Pull bulbs from ground and cure for 3-5 days in the field or bring into barn or greenhouse and cure for two weeks at 75-80°F and 80% relative humidity.
Storage
Cool slowly, and store at steady temperatures. Rapid cooling followed by a sudden warm period might break dormancy and cause onions to sprout. Optimal storage is at near freezing temperatures at 65-70% relative humidity.
Organic French Shallot seed ' Crème Brûlée '
Beurre Blanc, anyone?
Eschalots are the star ingredient for the popular French sauce, Beurre Blanc. It’s a beautiful, delicate, creamy sauce, that’s often used to accompany seafood, pasta, vegetables and chicken.
RECIPE:
Active Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
This classic French sauce starts by simmering shallots in a mixture of white wine and vinegar until the pot is very nearly dry. Cream is then added to enrich the sauce. (It also aids in the emulsification, causing the wine mixture and butter to combine more easily, which means your sauce will come together quickly and stay rich and luxurious far longer that a sauce without it.) White pepper balances the sauce, giving it an aromatic oomph without the speckling that would come from using black pepper. Straining removes the pieces of shallot, as they’ve already lent all the savory notes they have to give. Feel free to leave them in if you’d like your sauce to have a little texture.
Ingredients
Makes about 1 cup
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces and chilled
Step 1
Boil wine, vinegar, and shallot in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until liquid is syrupy and reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Add cream, salt, and white pepper and boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to moderately low and add a few tablespoons butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly and adding new pieces before previous ones have completely liquefied (the sauce should maintain consistency of hollandaise), lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture.
Step 2
Remove from heat, then season to taste with salt and pepper and pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into a sauceboat, pressing on and then discarding shallot. Serve immediately.
Cooks' Note
Wine mixture can be reduced, and cream and seasoning added, up to 1 hour ahead. Boil cream 1 minute before adding butter.