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Sizing Up Shallots

We often call for shallots in our recipes. What size shallots should you be using?

Shallots are a sweeter, smaller, milder cousin of onions. We like to use them in recipes where we want a soft onion flavor without much bite. As with most other vegetables (and fruits), we only specify small or large if size is crucial to the success of the recipe. Medium is our default.

But we’re more exacting when we’re testing recipes in the test kitchen. We use the guideline that one medium-size shallot (which is about the size of a golf ball) yields 3 tablespoons of minced shallot, which translates to 1 ounce (or 28 grams).

THE BOTTOM LINE: When cooking our recipes, a medium shallot should yield about 3 tablespoons of minced shallot. You can use part of a large one or multiple small ones as long as you measure after mincing.

Small Shallot

Small Shallot: 1/2 ounce (14 grams)

Yield: 1 tablespoon minced

Medium Shallot

Medium Shallot: 1 ounce (28 grams)

Yield: 3 tablespoons minced

Large Shallot

Large Shallot: 1 1/2 ounces (42 grams)

Yield: 4 tablespoons minced

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