In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “How to peel a shallot?” with an in-depth analysis of the nutritional value and uses of shallots. Moreover, we are going to discuss the health benefits and storage of the shallot.
How to peel a shallot?
You can peel a shallot in the following way;
- Take a sharp knife to peel the shallots.
- First of all, separate the shallot into individual cloves.
- Soak the shallot in the boiling water for 2_3 minutes, it will make its outer skin soft.
- Then under the cold water, run the shallots and it will prevent them from cooking.
- Then cut the top and root of the shallot.
- To cut the shallot in half, cut in the top of the shallot.
- Then peel away all the skin of the shallot.
What is the nutritional value of the shallot?
Shallot is a nutritious and mild variety of onions that is rich in the amount of fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and organosulfur.
The nutritional value for 3.5 ounces or 100 grams of the shallots is as follows;
- Calories: 75
- Protein: 2.5 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbs: 17 grams
- Fibre: 3 grams
- Calcium: 3% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Iron: 7% of the DV
- Magnesium: 5% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 5% of the DV
- Potassium: 7% of the DV
- Zinc: 4% of the DV
- Folate: 9% of the DV
How can you use shallots?
You can eat the shallots in the following ways;
- Roast the cloves of the shallots and serve them with the dipping sauce.
- Grill the shallots with veggie, tofu or meat.
- Chop the shallots and add the chopped shallots to the stir-fries, soups, or quiches.
- It can also be used in the raw form in salads, bruschetta, or pasta.
- They are also used to spread homemade pizza.
- Shallots are also added as an ingredient to the sauce.
What are the Health Benefits of using shallots?
Shallots are rich in the amount of several nutrients and antioxidants which makes them highly beneficial for health.
Some of the health benefits of the shallots are given below;
- Shallots have a rich amount of antioxidants that help to prevent the cells from the free radicals.
- Radicals in the body can also lead to chronic health problems such as cancer, heart disease etc.
- Shallots are also effective in relieving the allergy symptoms as it contains quercetin which decreases the level of histamine.
- Shallots also have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral characteristics due to the presence of organosulfur compounds.
- Organosulfur is also good for improving blood circulation and benefits your heart too.
- Thiosulfinates in the shallots prevent blood clotting and reduce the risk of heart diseases.
- It also prevents the accumulation of extra fat in the body and lowers the sugar level in the blood.
How to properly store the shallots?
The proper storage of the shallots is very important to keep them fresh and edible for a longer period.
You can store the shallots in the following ways to keep them fresh and useable for a long time;
- You can store the shallots in the hanging basket made with impermeable fabric.
- It is the easiest and the best way to store them.
- You can also store the shallots by putting them in the string mesh bag.
- A Mesh bag is made up of metal or a thick wire and has very small holes that prevent something from slipping out of it.
- Another best way to store the shallots is to keep them in an airtight plastic container whether they are cut or not.
- You can keep these plastic containers in the fridge then.
- If your plastic container is taking up too much space in the fridge you may use a Ziploc bag to store the shallots.
- For this purpose, you can cut out the shallots and keep them in the fridge by putting them in a Ziploc bag.
Here is the shelf life of the shallots.
Can shallots go bad?
Yes! Shallots can go bad.
Usually, shallots don’t go bad easily and can be stored for weeks even at room temperature.
However, if they aren’t properly stored and not at the optimum temperature, they can go bad.
Some of the signs of the bad shallots that can easily let you know that your shallots are gone bad include the following;
- Off smell
- Moulds grew over them
- Bad texture
- Discolouration(Yellowish or orangish)
If you notice any sign, your shallots have gone bad and should discard them.
Other FAQs about Shallots that you may be interested in.
What does a shallot look like?
Why use shallots instead of onions?
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “How to peel a shallot?” with an in-depth analysis of the nutritional value and uses of shallots. Moreover, we discussed the health benefits and storage of the shallot.
Citations:
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-peel-shallots-75029
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-are-shallots#uses
