GARLIC BRAIDS

Today is National Garlic Day and in order to celebrate, let’s learn how to make garlic braids for your summertime harvest.

The first step in braiding garlic for your kitchen is harvesting the garlic bulbs. Having planted softneck garlic in fall, the garlic heads will be ready to harvest in summer when the bottom leaves are beginning to yellow and before the leaves turn completely brown. Depending on location and season, this can be anywhere from June to August. Dig the garlic with a spading fork, being careful not to bruise the bulbs, then brush off the soil and move out of the sun as soon as possible and allow to dry overnight. It is important to braid the garlic while the leaves are still pliable.

To braid, take three heads and place one in the center, then one to the right overlapping the stalk of the first, and finally one to the left overlapping the stalk of the right, but under the stalk of the middle bulb. Braid the stalks together once or twice close to the garlic heads. Add a fourth head above the center one including its stalk with any of the others and braid a little more. Next, add two more heads, to the sides, including their stalks with the others and continue braiding. Add one, then two until the braid is as long as you want or you run out of garlic! To finish, braid the remaining leaves together and tie with twine and trim. Hang in a cool, dry, dark place for 2-3 weeks. The whole bulbs are the best way to keep garlic for an extended period.

For a more detailed description of the process along with pictures see http://www.bloomingfieldsfarm.com/garbrdhow.html

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:23