Why I Need a Barn

I've got a bumper crop of shallots and garlic. From the bulbs I planted late last fall, I've harvested several pounds of both. My trouble is in the step that comes next, curing the alliums. For that familiar papery skin to form before storing them, members of the onion and garlic family need to be laid in a single layer in cool, dry conditions for 2-4 weeks. 

My first thought was to find a place in the house, which we keep air-conditioned to the low 70s in the summer. I did not take into consideration the pungent odor of my crop. Heidi is tolerant of almost all of my wacky pursuits, but having our house smell like onions was not going to fly. As an alternative, I placed them in a single layer in some shallow cardboard boxes and put them in the guest bathroom. We were going out of town for a week, and I figured that would be time enough to cure most of the smell away.

Upon our return, the odor was gone, but there was a curious infestation of fruitflies, just one or two, here and there. We could not figure out where they were coming from, but the mystery was solved a few days ago when I finally got around to checking on the shallots and garlic. I quickly shut the box and took it out on the deck. 

I had had some good luck pre-curing the second harvest of garlic by leaving it on a grate in the garden for a few days. After that, I was able to brush the outer layer of soil and grime off, revealing a pretty purple and white skin beneath. My idea was to give the other bulbs the same treatment, but out on the deck. 

Unfortunately, we have had a stormy week, and the shallots and garlic have not dried at all. If anything, they are moister than before. So I spent a good 40 minutes or more this morning going through my bounty, trimming the roots, peeling the dry skin, and laying them on racks in the kitchen. "What's that smell?" asked Heidi when she got up.

Back to square one, I peeled the smallest of the shallots and pickled them, and I packed the rest in brown bags and placed them in a covered bin. So far? The smell and the fruitflies are gone. 🤞