Banana Shallots

[bearded bloke]

and there's me thinking it was blowing in the wind.

It may well be hun,but let us not forget .... There are more questions than answers

[bearded bloke]

Ayup Flo,I seem to think when we planted the said sets we were under the impression that they grew & split,also I am sure that A.N.Other posted that he/she had planted some wilkinsons unknown variety alongside some from a seed supplier & later in the same thread that the former were seemingly dormant & there was a lot of green shoots on the later.
Where did the idea that banana sets were sown purely for seed come from ????

Further to the above I did a search & found the old thread from which;
One of my posts ............

Yesterday I was in Wilko & they had restocked,so I duly got a pkt of 10 for £2 got home & counted,there were actually 9 heyho
Today Marshall's catalogue arrived looking at the pictures on page 12/13 from the shape & colour I would also guess we have got Jermor


text on that page,
The shallots do not increase in size but quickly start to grow and form a cluster of bulbs to harvest next summer

Figured out A.N.Other (^^) was Zaz ......

Further to this thread - I put 10 Taylor's shallots in, at the same time as 10 Wilkinson's shallots; and the Taylors have shooted and have lots of greenery, and the Wilkinsons ones; nada.

Zaz again .....

Yeah, I looked about a month ago when my other shallots were - well, pushing the netting up - but these hadn't grown at all. Composted. Neighbour's too. Complete waste of everyone's money. If we could tot up all the wasted £1s eh?

The thread is found at .... too-much-information

[Florence Fennel]

Where did the idea that banana sets were sown purely for seed come from ????

I'm sure I didn't pluck it out of the air BB (although the senior moments I've been having lately could have me confused), I'll do little lookie.

[Florence Fennel]

Why are you planting them? True Banana shallots are usually grown from seed and are eaten whole.

Unless you are just weird in which case - as you were.


Our Zazzy In reply to my original post (Too much information)

[bearded bloke]

Ahhh it was that young trouble maker was it so was she growing those mentioned in my quotes above for seed or for eating ??

*Wanders off bumping gums .... some women are confusing at the best of times

[Bigmallly]

I actually bought them from a supermarket with the intentions of planting them but when I got home and did some reading, everything I read said they are only grown for seed and that the seed is then sown in winter for the following year............seems a bit of a faff to me but I am sure some folk do it.

[veggiechicken]

They had these in Morrisons too - they're also called Echalions UK SHALLOTS | For professional and passionate cooks | Echalion shallots

[Bigmallly]

They had these in Morrisons too - they're also called Echalions UK SHALLOTS | For professional and passionate cooks | Echalion shallots

That's 'em..........I must admit they make a cracking addition to a bacon & tom sarney.........

[veggiechicken]

Well if they've raised your culinary skills to that level, I'm impressed

[Bigmallly]

Well if they've raised your culinary skills to that level, I'm impressed

You're impressed?............I was over the moon, now I know how the cow felt.............

[Snadger]

If you're feeling adventurous, try this recipe Beef Stifado recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food
Its good for using lots of small onions, doesn't take too long to prepare although a few hours to cook as it has to be done slowly, but its excellent reheated.
I used to make it with octopus but that may be a step too far!

I had a meal of this a long time ago when visiting foreign climes.

Beef Stifado is my sole reason for hunting out big shallots in the GC to plant to give me lots of small shallots!

[veggiechicken]

Try it with octopus Snadge, instead of beef. I make a veggie version too with chickpeas! I'm feeling a little peckish now......

[Snadger]

I grow the red version and the white version of torpedo onions from seed. Torpedo onions are tastier than Banana shallots (in my opinion they make wonderful sweet onion gravy)and sometimes torpedo onions are wrongly sold as Banana shallots in the shops!

[veggiechicken]

Actually, any small onion will do in a Stifado, I've used quartered biggies too when there's nothing else. Its really just to cook them long and slow until they melt into the tomato sauce.

[Snadger]

Sounds nice! I ate loads of small cooked octopi in Sorrento, but drew the line when one dish was served with a large live octopus spread out on top of it!