It is difficult to imagine many dishes without onions - from vegetable salads to exquisite gourmet dishes. If you do not like the bitter taste of ordinary onions and the sharp aroma, then there is an alternative - shallots.
It has a sweeter taste and does not have such a pronounced smell. You'll learn about all the differences between onions and shallots in this post.
Shallots can easily be called an "aristocratic" vegetable. It is a main ingredient in many European and French dishes. Its spiciness is pleasant, not intrusive, sweet and the taste is softer.
It fits perfectly in cream soups, salads with tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers and other vegetables and does not muffle the aroma and creamy taste of avocado.
When it needs to be deep roasted or a more pronounced bitter taste is required, it is better to choose plain onions. For example, it is more suitable for cooking zucchini pate or eggplant, roasted meat with vegetables, barbecue food.
The general, the growing characteristics of onions and shallots are similar. Shallots love the sun, moderately moist, fertile and loose soil with an acidity of 6 to 6.5. Shallots ripen earlier than ordinary onions.
A sign that it's time to take the onions out of the ground, is when their tops pop out. If it starts to dry, turn yellow or turn pale, then in this case you should hurry up and use it.