Seed Savers Exchange
Shallot, Zebrune
Allium cepa
- Pink-brown skinned bulbs
- Torpedo shaped bulbs
- Good keeper and resistant to bolting
- Sweet and mild flavor
- This variety will grow well in most regions of the United States.
- Packet of 100 Seeds
In France this variety is referred to as 'Cuisse de Poulet du Poitou' (chicken leg of Poitou). IT is a type of Eschalion, or banana shallot, so named because of its distinctive torpedo shape. Shallots are a type of onion that developed in Central or Southeast Asia.
Onions are thought to have been used as a food source for millennia, but it isn't clear when onion bulbs began to be cultivated rather than collected from the wild. It appears to have been used in ancient Egypt and Greece. In the Middle Ages onions formed an important part of European diets. Early European settlers brought bulbing onions to the Americas, where the indigenous peoples were already using wild onions.
Learn To Grow It
This crop requires a long growing season and should be started from seed in mid to late winter. You can transplant them outdoors 1-2 weeks after all danger of frost has passed.
Plant your seeds 1/4-3/4 in. deep in soil trays or pots indoors. Fertilize your seedlings when they have grown to 2-3 inches high. When planting outdoors, place the seedlings 3-8 inches apart.
Make sure that your soil is well fertilized as this crop is a heavy feeder and takes a lot of nutrients from the soil. Consider adding compost to the soil the year before you plant.
Mulching the soil around this crop can help protect the plant and keep roots cool and moist. This crop may require regular applications of fertilizer and water.
