Grow Your Own Magazine

Taken from The Allotment Gardens Cookbook by Ann Nicol

500g shallots, peeled (I've used onions and this works just as well!)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 strip lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
2 dried chillies
4 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods, crushed
225g granualted sugar
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp sherry vinegar

Slice the shallots into thick rings. Heat the oil and butter in a deep heavy based pan and add the shallot slices. Cook over a very slow heat for 15 minutes to soften and golden. (Not brown!).

Place the lemon zest, cinnamon, chillies, cloves and cardamom pods in a square of muslin and tie up with string.

Add the bag of spices and the sugar to the shallors. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for 40 - 50 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the pepper and vinegar and simmer for another 15 minutes until the mixture is thick brown and sticky. Remove the bag of spices and store the marmalade in a small lidded jar or container. It will kep for up to a week chilled.

You can also put this into small freezer container. It will keep frozen for up to 2 months. To use, thaw at room temperature for 1 hour. Stir well before serving.


Enjoy! Bernie

*******SORRY! FORGET TO MENTION THAT THIS ONLY KEEPS FOR A WEEK IN THE FRIDGE!!!*******

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Good looking recipe DDL. Thanks for posting it. That's where some of my shallots are going.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

I made this last year for Christmas gifts,it is VERY good.

Thanks again for that Bernie. I have managed to save quite a few. We are eating loads of Spanish omlette and a side orders of onion with everything but drying is a nightmare with this rain and the maincrops are coming on now!

I'm going to get a batch made and my dad's got a vac-packer so it should last well in the freezer. I bet that will be yummy with a bit of chedder.

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Paul

And mine Alice! Shallots have done really well for me this year, in fact some are bigger than my onions!

Thanks for recipe DDL!

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to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Oooh Yum - i've been looking for a good caramelised onion/shallot chutney recipe type thing.

How come it only keeps for a week?

If you were to say add more vinegar - would it be a bit more like chutney and keep for longer do you think??

I tried to make some caramelised onion chutney last year, but hadn't quite got the hang of caramelising - butter is the key then?!

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Happy Gardening!

To be fair everyone, I tried it with onions but not shallots - will this make a difference? Bernie

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Have been digging through my recipe books again! This one sounds fab for christmas, what do you think? (Haven't tried it mesen)
Taken from Good Housekeepings Cooks Year.

Preparation time 25 minutes
Cooking time about 40 minutes
Not suitable for freezing

Makes 900g 2lbs

450g / 1lb shallots
45ml / 3 tbsp olive oil
225g / 8oz soft brown sugar
salt and pepper
450g / 1lb cranberries
2.5cm / 1" piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
15ml / 1 tbsp mustard seeds
150ml / 5fl oz red wine
200ml / 7fl oz red wine vinegar
45ml / 3 tbsp creme de cassis liqueur

Plunge the shallots into a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes to loosen the skins then remove. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel, leaving on a little root end to hold them intact.
Halve the shallots lengthwise and place in a roasting tin with the olive oil and 3 tbsp of the sugar. Roast at 200C 400F mark 6 for at least 30 minutes, turning twice until softened and caramelized, but not burnt. Season generously.
Meanwhile pick over the cranberries, discarding any discoloured ones. Place in a heavy based pan with the ginger, remaining sugar, mustard seeds, red wine and vinegar. Bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the shallots. Deglaze the roasting tin with the liqueur and reduce until syrupy, then pour into the cranberry mixture. Return to the heat and simmer very gently stirring occasionally for 10 - 15 minutes or until the chutney is thick.
Pot in sterilized jars as usual.

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

And some of my shallots have been big Snadger, but not complaining.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

To be honest whilst shallots have a fine flavour the distinction would be lost in such recipes. I would use onions for just as good a flavour. Using shallots is no harm if you have a glut but it is really a marketing thing. If you were selling the produce you could charge more for confiture of shallots than for onion jam.

My shallots are huge this year Alice - another benefit of all the water I suspect. I usually get 6 - 9 shallots in a clump. I still have some like this but many are only 2 or 3 but I think the total weight of each clump will be the same. This suits me as I find the one drawback with shallots is the fiddly peeling!

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www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated September 29th - Bean drying.

I used Oded Schwartz recipe which is time consuming and long-winded but certainly worth the effort.
2lb. 10oz.shallots
5oz.salt
two and a half pts.white wine vinegar
2lb.white granulated sugar.
FOR THE SPICE BAG
4 cardamom pods
2cinnamon sticks
3 strips lemon peel
1 tspn.caraway seeds
1 tspn. cloves
half tspn. birds eye chilies

Peel shallots by blanching in boiling water for a few minutes.MAKE SURE THAT THE ROOT END REMAINS INTACT OR SHALLOTS WILL DISINTEGRATE DURING COOKING.
Place peeled shallots in a large glass bowl.Cover with cold water and add the salt.Mix well til salt has dissolved then weight down and leave for 24 hours.
Put vinegar,sugar and spice bag in preserving pan. Bring to the boil and boil steadily for 10 mins.stirring occasionally.Skim well.
Drain shallots,rinse well,then drain again.Darefully add them to the boiling syrup.Return to the boil,then reduce heat to minimum andsimmer very gently for 15 mins.
Remove from heat and leave to cool,then cover and leave to stand overnight.
Next day bring mixture slowly to the boil,then reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 mins. Cool and leave overnight as before.
Next day,bring all slowly to boiland simmer very gently for two to two and a half hours or until shallots are translucent and golden brown.
Carefully lift the shallots out with a slotted spoon and pack loosely into hot,sterilized jars.Return syrup to the boil and boil rapidly for about 5 mins.Pour into jars and seal.The shallots are ready for immeadiate eating but will improve with keeping.
Especially good with venison or lamb----shelf life 2 years.

***********Apologies to everyone! I've only just realised THIS ONLY KEEPS FOR A WEEK IN THE FRIDGE************** B****r! there was me thinking I'd got the perfect recipe! Sorry everyone Bernie

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things