Leek and shallot 387
wat sauce to accompany Injera bread made from wheat flour (Currah and Proctor,
1990). Shallots are also used in certain sauces. Shallots are often considered the
gourmet member of the onion family. They have a mild, delicate but distinctive
flavour and can either be grown for use as green onions, or for the clusters of small
bulbs that are used like garlic or onions (Lane Greer and George Kuepper, 1999).
22.10 Quality issues..................................................................................
22.10.1 Storage
Dry shallot bulbs are sold either fresh or from storage. Shallot clones vary considerably
in storage life, with a range of 2–9 months, and storage temperature and genetic traits
are the main factors that influence storage life (Currah and Proctor, 1990; Grubben,
1994). In Thailand, high N level in the stored bulbs was found to be associated with
short keeping, with premature harvest when carried out before leaf wilting and with
poor post-harvest handling (Ruaysoongnern, 1994). Storage diseases, early sprouting
and shrivelling seem to be the main limiting factors for long keeping of shallots in
tropical and sub-tropical countries. Bulb onions and most shallots store well at low
(–0 ∞C) and high (roughly 25–30 ∞C) temperatures (Krontal et al., 2000). However,
shallots can be stored for long periods, over five months, under ambient conditions in
the tropics (Currah and Proctor, 1990). Storage in shade heaps in the field or in open
sheds under ambient conditions is common in the tropics, in Israel and in other
places.
22.11 References.......................................................................................
AALBERSBERG W (1985), ‘Quality is also of importance in the choice of summer leek cultivars’,
Groenten-en-Fruit, 41, 24 & 65.
ANON. (1946), United States Standards for Grades of Bunched Shallots, Washington DC, USDA.
ANON. (1986), Pest Control in Tropical Onions, London, Tropical Development and Research
Institute.
ANON. (2005a), The World’s healthiest foods, The George Mateljan Foundation. Available world
wide web: whfoods.org
ANON. (2005b), ‘Leek (vegetable)’, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Available: http://
em.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek%28vegetable%29
ANON. (2005c), ‘Plants for a future: Database search results’, Available world wide web: http://
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf
BAUMANN D T, KROPFF M J and BASTIAANS L (2000), ‘Intercropping leeks to suppress weeds’ Weed Res
Oxford, 40(4), 359–374.
BELDER E DEN and ELDERSON J (1998), ‘Suitability of leek for Thrips tabaci is reduced by intercropping
with clover’, Proc Section Exptl & Applied Enotom The Netherlands Entom Soc, 9, 123–127.
BENOIT F and CEUSTERMANS N (1978), ‘Possibilities of early leek culture under plastic tunnels’,
Goenten en Fruit, 84, 13 & 15.
BENOIT F and CEUSTERMANS N (1990), ‘Some findings from Belgian research on leeks’, Revue de l’
Agriculture, 43(1), 33–41.
BLOEM E, HANEKLAUS S and SCHNUG E (2004), ‘Influence of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization on the
alliin content of onions and garlic’. J Plant Nutr, 27(10), 1827–1839.
BREWSTER J L (1994), Onions and other vegetable Alliums, Willingford, UK, CAB International.
BROOK ELLIOT (2003), ‘The other onions’, Mother Earth News (Aug–Sept 2003). Available http://www.Furl.net
BRUNSGAARD G, SORENSEN J N, KAACK K and EGGUM B O (1997), ‘Protein quality and energy density of
leek (Allium porrum L.) as influenced by water and nitrogen supply and plant age at harvest’,
J Sci Food & Agric, 74, 237–243.