Before plaiting or braiding garlic for storage you need to lay the garlic out in cool dark places such as in a basement if you have one.
Then allow the garlic to sit for about a week to dry and cure.
Then after the garlic is dried and cured you can start plaiting or braiding the garlic for storage.
To plait or braid the garlic for storage take some small twine or string and take three pieces of garlic and lay one piece of garlic and lay it out straight and then lay two across the stem facing left and right in an X like pattern.
Then tie the garlic together on the stems.
Then repeat the process by adding some more garlic to the first garlic pieces until you have enough on the garlic stems tied together.
Plaiting garlic is a lot of work though so be prepared to have patience when doing this.
Here’s the pattern too follow when plaiting or braiding garlic for storage.
- 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.
When you’re done adding garlic bulbs to the braid, you’ll have a handful of stalks of garlic.
Continue to braid these garlic in a simple braid until you reach the end.
Tie tightly with another bit of string.