Braiding Garlic
Last Fall, I planted about 30 to 40 garlic cloves, and about 4 weeks ago, they were ready to harvest.
I pulled all of my garlic out of the ground, and set them out on wire racks to dry/cure.
Today, they were finally dry enough to braid.
I gave all of my garlic bulbs a little hair cut, then I started braiding away.
I had never tried braiding garlic before today...it's really not that hard...sort of like french braiding. I suppose I could have made the braids a bit tighter, but who's looking anyway. Start out by crossing three pieces of garlic, and every time you cross over from one side or the other, add in another piece of garlic to the middle strand. Alternate big bulbs and small bulbs, placing them wherever you see a hole or gap that needs filled.
Here is what the process looks like.
...and so on, and so forth...
...until you get to this...
...braid the remaining stems like you would a regular braid...
...tie them off, and there you have it...your very own garlic braids. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place, and they should last for around 6 to 8 months.
If you are interested in watching a video of me braiding the garlic, I have one for your viewing pleasure. HOWEVER...I warn you ahead of time that it is extremely unprofessional...my 5 year old daughter, Jane shot the "film." Don't say I didn't warn you...
Comments
Seriously though, have you ever seen the PBS series Victorian Kitchen? Soooo amayzingly good! Anyhoo, the gardener shares how he braided onions and this reminded me of that:)
Yes, Victorian Kitchen! I watched an episode or two online, that is, when the computer used to have sound. It was neat.
Autumn Jane's video turned out very well, I think. Could clearly follow how you braided, and the watery effects of the reflections from the table are cool.
Very best,
Natalie