When to Harvest Shallots — Signs, Timing & Storage

Getting the harvest moment right is the difference between a shallots you look forward to eating and one you wish you had picked a week earlier — or a week later. Pick too early and you lose size and flavour; pick too late and you lose texture, sweetness and storage life. This guide covers the signs to look for, the right way to pick without damaging the plant, the best time of day to harvest, how often to pick, what happens if you leave the crop too long, and how to store it once it is in.

Shallots are the cook's onion — milder, sweeter and easier to store — and they multiply in the ground, one planted bulb becoming a cluster of five or more. The harvest has more in common with onions than with any leafy crop: watch the tops, wait for them to fall, lift the clusters, and cure them properly. Get the curing right and shallots will keep for months; get it wrong and they rot in store.

Shallots at a glance

Growing factor What shallots need
Days to maturity 90–120
Category vegetable
Family Amaryllidaceae
Cold tolerance hardy
Water needs moderate

The figures above come from our crop data, which draws on standard public horticultural references. They are broad published ranges, not exact figures — the real timing in your garden depends on your variety, your soil and your weather. Use the harvest-date calculator to work out your expected harvest date from your sowing date, and check your local extension service for dates that fit your climate.

How to tell when shallots are ready

Shallots are ready when the tops yellow, flop over and begin to dry — the same signal as onions. The bulbs at the base should feel firm and papery, with dry, tight skins and a good size for the variety, and the cluster should be visible at the soil line, pushing itself partly out of the ground. Do not wait until the tops have completely rotted away: lift when most tops have fallen but are still attached, so you can use them as handles and so the bulbs are easy to find.

  • Tops yellowed and flopped over, with most of the foliage drying off.
  • Bulbs firm with dry, papery skins and a clean, tight neck where the top joins.
  • Clusters visible at the soil line, each bulb a good size for the variety.
  • No soft spots, mould or sprouting at the neck of the bulb.

When to harvest shallots

Shallots take 90–120 days to mature. Plant sets in autumn or early spring depending on your climate, and expect to lift them in summer when the tops fall. Stop watering once the tops start to yellow — dry soil helps the bulbs cure and keeps them from rotting. If wet weather threatens at harvest time, lift a little early rather than leaving bulbs in soggy ground. Check your local extension service for planting times, since autumn-planted shallots suit mild winters and spring-planted ones suit cold ones.

How to pick shallots without damaging the plant

Loosen the clusters with a hand fork and lift them gently, keeping each cluster intact. Shake off loose soil but do not wash them, and handle them gently — bruised shallots rot in store. Lay the clusters out in a single layer in a dry, airy place out of direct rain to cure for one to two weeks, until the skins are fully papery and the necks are dry and tight. Only then separate the cluster into individual bulbs and trim the tops and roots.

If you are still learning the crop, our growing guide for shallots covers the whole season from sowing to harvest, and the planting calendar for zone 5 shows the timing for a mid-range climate — adjust earlier or later for your own zone.

The best time of day to harvest

The best time to pick shallots is in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day builds up. In the cool of the morning the plant is full of water from the night, the leaves and stems are crisp, and the harvest is at its freshest — a shallot picked at 8 in the morning will be noticeably crisper than one picked at 3 in the afternoon. Morning picking also means the crop goes into the kitchen or the refrigerator while it is still cool, rather than sitting in a warm basket losing moisture. Avoid picking in the heat of the day, when plants are wilted and stressed, and avoid picking when the plants are soaking wet from rain or heavy dew, since wet foliage spreads disease and wet produce spoils faster in store. If you must pick later in the day, pick in the evening shade instead, and get the harvest cooled quickly.

How often to pick shallots

Shallots are a single lift, not a pick-over-weeks crop: the whole bed is usually ready within a week or two, so lift clusters as their tops fall and cure them in batches. If a few plants are still green, leave them a little longer — but do not leave ripe bulbs sitting in wet soil.

What happens if you leave shallots too long

Left in the ground too long, shallots sprout again, split, or rot — especially in wet soil — and their necks stay thick and soft, which means they will not store. Overgrown bulbs also lose their tight skins and become vulnerable to mould in store. Lift on time, even if the tops do not look perfectly dry, and finish the drying under cover.

How to store shallots

Short-term storage

Freshly lifted shallots need curing first; once cured, they keep for weeks in a cool, dry, airy place. Keep them out of the refrigerator, which encourages sprouting.

Longer-term storage

Cured shallots are one of the best-storing alliums: kept in a mesh bag, a basket or plaited into a string in a cool, dry, frost-free place, they keep for months. Check the store regularly and use any soft or sprouting bulbs first. Save the largest, healthiest bulbs as sets for next year's planting.

If you are growing a lot of this crop, the vegetable yield estimator helps you work out how much you are likely to harvest, so you can plan your storage — and your preserving — before the glut arrives.

Succession and continuous harvest

Shallots are planted once a year, in autumn or spring, and the continuity comes from saving your own sets: each lifted cluster gives you several bulbs to replant. Plant a few extra for sets, choose a sunny, well-drained bed, and rotate the bed each year to keep soil diseases at bay.

Common harvesting mistakes

  • Leaving bulbs in wet soil after the tops fall, which causes rot.
  • Storing before curing — damp necks mean mould and sprouting in store.
  • Handling bulbs roughly at lifting, since bruises become rot spots.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know when shallots are ready to harvest?

When the tops yellow and flop over and the bulbs feel firm with papery skins — about 90–120 days after planting. Lift while the tops are still attached.

Do shallots need curing like onions?

Yes — lay them in a dry, airy place for one to two weeks until the skins are papery and the necks are dry. Only then trim and store them.

How long do shallots keep after curing?

Months, in a mesh bag or basket in a cool, dry, frost-free place. Check them regularly and use soft or sprouting bulbs first.

Can I replant my own shallots?

Yes — save the largest, healthiest bulbs as sets for next year. One planted bulb grows into a cluster of several.

What happens if I leave shallots in the ground too long?

They sprout, split or rot, especially in wet soil, and their necks stay soft so they will not store. Lift them when the tops fall.

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