Drying Onions
Preserving a summer glut….
Onions have been good to me this year, despite difficulties, correction, nightmares with brassicas the onions and shallots have come up trumps. I’ve always done well with these, fewer have bolted this year which is a bonus, I was quicker to nip out the flowering shoots which made a difference and a healthy dose of rain didn’t do them any harm either.
So now the stems have changed from bright green to straw yellow and have been left in situ to dry in the sun until today when I have brought them into a cold frame to protect them from an expected downpour.
I like to leave onions and garlic to dry outdoors rather than in the garage, mainly because my garage is attached to my house via a utility room so the smell wafts into the house and hangs around!
Once they have dried I dust any excess dry soil off and trim the leaves and outer skin ready for storage over the coming weeks. I love to roast own grown shallots and the taste of fresh red and white onions is quite something. I suppose it is the thought of growing something and preserving it for later use which makes the eating that bit more special.
The garlic has been another matter, I planted the larger bulbed variety also known as ‘elephant’ or ‘green’ and none of them grew. The ‘regular’ garlic was also a disapointment with small bulbs and even smaller cloves. I’ve never managed to grow garlic as well as I would like but there’s enough this summer to keep me going.
Miles
I’ve managed to have a string of smoked garlic hanging up in the kitchen for the past couple of years. Not my own of course but the delicate (well I think it is!) smokey scent wafts about deliciously. Smoking the bulbs seems to keep them for much longer which is a bonus in my case since I don’t get through them that quickly. Yesterday I was making yet more stock and decided to throw in several whole cloves with skins on to give more flavour.
Cid
August 1, 2008 @ 9:06 am
Cid,
Smoked garlic is lovely, you should try it in some potato puree or braised lentils, it’s a bit of a revelation.
Miles
August 1, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Miles,
Now you mention it, how many of us cook with lentils at home? I know I’ve got some lurking in a pot at the back of a drawer so it’s high time I used it. Once again, as a child there were always either lentils or pearl barley in a meaty stew and we loved it. It would be perfect with your garlicy potatoes. Perhaps in autumn or when the chill winds blow it’ll be time for a pot of stew…. so maybe next week then?
Cid
August 1, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Cid,
I use lentils, green, red and Puy Lentils. I add the red ones to my tomato soup from time to time and the green ones to any vegetable soup. I love the Puy Lentils with bacon, a carrot and some stock to accompany pork or sausages.
Had the latter this week, in fact.
Your smoked garlic sounds interesting.
Elsie
August 1, 2008 @ 8:33 pm
Ladies,
I shall be posting a recipe for Spanish lentils shortly.
Miles (typing in the dark after bulb blows-I have a spare for every light in the house except my office one
)
August 1, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
Elsie,
Your words have encouraged me to venture into the lentil world.
Is it any good as a face pack?
Cid
August 2, 2008 @ 8:38 am
Cid,
.
I don’t need face packs
Elsie
August 2, 2008 @ 7:46 pm
Gosh, Miles, you are definitely the most prolific blogger around. I even mentioned that in a recent post of mine.
I’m munching on fresh grilling onions and garlic almost daily — from my CSA share. I love them, but will try your drying method in case I can’t use them all.
By the way, I love the term “own-grown.” You Brits have a clever way with words.
Melissa
August 2, 2008 @ 9:48 pm
Melissa,
Thanks, I’ve been called a lot worse than that!! Grilled onions are great, I roast them in their skins to retain their shape and then ‘pop’ them out before serving, some of my shallots will go into a jar of piccalilli but that’s another post!
Take care,
Miles
August 2, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
Elsie,
I think I need an all over body pack and a hair pack…. apparently they’re meant to be good. I’ll make up an extra large pot of porridge with a few extras thrown in to give it credibility
I’m usually fine as long as there’s no phone calls or visits from the postman or small children who tend to take fright 
Thought I would make like one of Miles’ chillies and sun dry myself, hoping not to attract too much attention from the local wildlife as I will resemble a giant organic bird feeder …. 
Cid
August 3, 2008 @ 9:42 am