My shallots are starting to flower - help!

the_cat

Hi all

This is my first year growing veg and with the help of the advice here and the allotment website, things are growing well :beer:

A bit too well maybe in the case of the shallots. Got there today and some are starting to produce flower heads. Should I have harvested them already? The greenery is not showing any signs of dying off, so I'm a bit confused

Can some kind soul give me advice please?

izzwizz_2

Hi, shallots won't store dry once they have flowered, so the best thing you can do is to cut the flowering ones and use them (minus the flowers & flowering stalks). Yoy can use them like spring onions, or use them as onions or shallots (use the green bits as well as the bulbs). They won't take as long to cook as dry ones, and will taste lovely and sweet. If you have too many to use, you can chop them up and freeze them, then just use instead of onions in whatever recipes you're cooking.

realfood

Nip off the flower bud and use it as flavouring, just as you would use garlic "scapes".