So, this year I’m taking extra care to cure the shallots properly to avoid spoilage. We lost about half the crop last year due to insufficient curing and poor storage.

After a brief period drying outdoors, I moved them into the shed and a slatted shelf has made in ideal drying device, allowing the bulbs to sit separately and the air to circulate. They’ve been drying in the shed for about three weeks, but I’m going to leave them a while longer before trimming and storing – to be sure to be sure. In the meantime, I’ll keep checking them regularly for any signs of mould. Obviously, during this time we can eat them too.

This year’s shallot harvest totalled about six to seven dozen bulbs, which we will make short work of in the coming weeks. Given the amount of space these take up in our small growing area of three raised beds, I think they’ll have to be off the menu for the next growing season. As tasty as they are.

I harvested the garlic the other day too. The bulbs are a mixture of sizes. The largest are larger than last year’s crop. I’m going to attempt my first garlic plaits with these lads in the coming days. Watch this space…

Plait update

In my defence this was done while drinking beer in the sun. My mind was not totally on the task at hand.