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Description
This well known French heirloom shallot is sometimes referred to as an eschalion, or banana shallot. The eschalion combines the ease and texture of an onion with the delicate gourmet flavour of a shallot. The long lasting bulbs have pinkish brown skins over crisp white interiors. The flesh is sweet and mild for gourmet cooking. The sweetness improves in storage, so they keep getting better. Zebrune shallot seeds were once known as Cuisse de Poulet or 'chicken legs' due to their stretched, oblong shape and wide equator. Start the seeds indoors early in the year and transplant in early spring.
| Latin Name |
Allium cepa |
| Days to Sprout | 6-12 days |
| Days to Maturity | 100 days |
| Difficulty |
Easy |
| Exposure |
Full-sun |
| Germination Rate | 75% |
| Usual Seed Life | 1 Years |
| Seed Type | F1 Hybrid |
TIPS: Stop watering in the beginning of August to mature the bulbs in dry soil. After half the tops have fallen, push over the remainder, wait a week and lift the bulbs. Curing is essential for long storage: Spread bulbs out in a single layer in an airy spot out of direct sunlight. Once no more green is visible on any of the leaves, and they are dry and crisp, the onion is cured. If weather is poor, cure indoors. Storage: Keep onions in mesh sacks or hang in braids so they get good ventilation, and hang sacks where air is dry and very cool, but not freezing. Check them regularly and remove any sprouting or rotting onions. Well-cured storage onions should keep until late spring.
