Homesteading Tip: How to Make A Garlic Braid
A garlic braid is a lovely and simple way to store your bountiful garlic crop! Here’s how to make one…
Mid-summer means garlic harvesting time! If you have a good crop of garlic this year, you may be wondering what is the best way to store it. While garlic will keep for several months in a cool, dark location, sometimes it’s nice to have a neat, cool-looking garlic braid handy in your kitchen.
Keep in mind that not all types of garlic are suitable for braiding. Garlic comes in two main types: hard-neck and soft-neck. These are pretty much what they sound like – hard-neck has a stiff, stick-like stalk, while soft-neck has a floppy, flexible stem. Soft-neck is the kind you can braid, but if you have hard-neck garlic, you can try a similar “fishtailing” method.
If you choose not to braid, you will want to store your garlic loosely in a container or mesh bag with good air circulation in a cool, dry location. (Don’t refrigerate it, as this will alter the flavor, and may even make it spoil faster!)
To create a garlic braid, all you will need are about 8-10 nice heads of soft neck garlic and a couple of small pieces of twine or sturdy string.
Here’s the pattern to follow (see link below for detailed instructions and pictures):
- Start with the trio of bulbs tied together as your base.
- Add bulb to middle.
- Cross right stalks over middle stalks.
- Add bulb to right side (stalk of new bulb goes in middle section).
- Cross left stalks over middle stalks.
- Add bulb to left side (stalk of new bulb goes in middle section.)
- Cross right stalks over middle stalks.
- Add bulb to middle (stalk of new bulb goes in middle section.)
- Cross left stalks over middle stalks.
- Repeat.
See full instructions at ThePrairieHomestead.com…
