How to brighten your shallots

Today, I am launching new “Tips & Tricks” section on the food blog with this quick trick to brighten your shallots.

Now what do I mean by that? And why would you want to enhance the color of your shallots?

If you’re into food photography or beautiful food  presentations like I am, you often need additional pops of color to brighten up your plates. 

Shallots can help. While they naturally have a nice purple color, you can enhance that color shade so it pops out even more on a plate.

Just look at this picture from a recipe that will soon make its way on the blog. See how the right purple adds life and color to the stuffed mashed sweet potato?

How do you achieve that?

Easy, you just need two ingredients: shallots and sour oranges (or vinegar).

STEP 1: Peel your shallots and slice them thinly

STEP 2: Put the sliced shallots in a glass mason jar

STEP 3: Extract the juice of one or two sour oranges

Note: The exact amount of juice will depend on how much shallots you need, on the size of your jar and how much juice is packed in one fruit.

You can substitute vinegar for the sour oranges if you don’t have any.

STEP 4: Add the sour orange juice to the jar making sure to cover every shallot slice

STEP 5: Close the lid and place the jar next to an indirect source of heat for about an hour or more.

NOTE: I placed mine next to a cast iron grill while I was cooking. Leave it as long as you need to to achieve the strong purple color.

You can preserve those shallots in that jar in the fridge for a couple of days. You could also try to add it to your marinades and sauces. It will surely brighten them up.

Tip to brighten your shallots

This quick tip will help you enhance the purple color of your shallots so you can use them as garnish.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Macerating time: 1 hour hr

Ingredients

  

• shallots
• sour orange juice or vinegar
• mason jar with a tight lid

Instructions

 

• Peel your shallots and slice them thinly
• Put the sliced shallots in a glass mason jar
• Extract the juice of one or two sour oranges
• Add the sour orange juice to the jar making sure to cover every shallot slice
• Close the lid and place the jar next to an indirect source of heat for about an hour or more.

Notes

Though I used sour oranges for this trick, you can use vinegar as well. Simply make sure to pour enough juice or vinegar to cover your shallots.

You can preserve those shallots in that jar in the fridge for a couple of days. You could also try to add it to your marinades and sauces. It will surely brighten them up.