The Cheap Vegetable Gardener

How to braid garlic (for guys)

14.4 years ago garlic bulbs, Uncategorized

I normally hang my garlic off my bike to allow it to cure and store to use over the winter, but given the large amount of garlic I have grown and I have gotten into better shape and am actually using my bike, I decided to attempt to create a pretty garlic braid.  After spending a 10-15 minutes checking on the internet on the various knots and techniques to braid garlic.

Lacking some basic knowledge and first hand experience braiding, I eventually got confused, gave up, and  just winged it and discovered a technique I call “Braiding Garlic For Guys” knowing if I handed the bulbs to my two daughters they would have made a perfect braid with them in just a few minutes.  And yes, my wife does not trust me to do our daughters hair…

Step 1: Dry your bulbs

Lay them out into the sun to dry for one hot day.  You will be letting the garlic dry longer though this is primarily to get the dirt dry on the bulbs to make Step 3 (Clean up your bulbs) a little easier.

Step 2: Select the right bulbs

If you are lucky enough to only grow large perfectly formed bulbs with no imperfections you can skip this step, but if you are like me you should have at least a few bulbs with small cloves or some that are split open.  Set these bulbs aside and use right away in your cooking or do like I did and use them to make some garlic powder.

Step 3: Clean up your bulbs (optional)

Though creating a garlic braid is a good compact way to store your garlic it also looks pretty cool when done right.  To make sure it looks its best give each of the bulbs a little haircut by trimming their roots to about 1/4 inch using scissors or shears  Follow this with a quick cleaning by a little brushing of your hand and/or a quick brush with an unused toothbrush.  Given I am just hanging my garlic in my garage I was a little lazy on the clean up.

Step 4: Start your garlic braid

Begin by taking your 3 largest bulbs and laying them side by side in front of you.  Take the stems of the bulbs on the left and right and cross them over the one in the center.

Now take whatever stem (right or left) that is on the bottom and bend it over the stem in the center (which now becomes the new center)

Here is an illustration but easier if you don’t think about it too much:

Step 5: Repeat yourself

Give the right and left side a little tug to make everything is tight and lay a new bulb on the middle of your garlic braid (center) then bend over the stem from the other side over the center (which now becomes the new center) and repeat this step until run out of garlic bulbs.

Step 6: Finish things off

Repeat what you have been doing in Step 5 three or four times obviously skipping the add a garlic bulb to help secure the last few bulbs in place.  Finish by tightly tying a piece of twine or string at the top of the braid to keep things from unraveling and giving you something to hang your beautiful braid in a dry location to have garlic which will keep for about 6 months.

Tip: When you need some garlic just cut or pull off bulbs as you need them.  I personally save the largest bulbs to replant in the fall to harvest the following year.

Tags: garlic