Preserves: How To Braid Garlic

This is the first year that I have gotten a decent amount of garlic and some decent size garlic. 

So, instead of peeling it all and freezing in oil, I decided to braid it.

And if you can braid hair, you can braid garlic!

For a while, my back porch smelled so garlic-y and strong, 

the running joke was I was getting ready in case of a vampire invasion!

Anyways, back to the braiding!

It took a couple tries and time, but I'm glad I figured it out!

For mine, I sorted my garlic in sizes.

I did this so that I would use the biggest first, and come fall I would plant the smaller bulbs again.

Next came the braiding!

(I didn't take any pictures because I needed both hands!)

Starting with three bulbs (with their scapes on) lay them down scapes towards you.

Then I would add a bulb and scape as I went to braid ( more like a french braid)

If a scape was really thick, I wouldn't add a bulb I would just braid it in.

If a scape was tiny, I would add one or two bulbs with similar sized scapes.

It definitely was more of trial and error as it was my first braiding try. 

But. It worked and I was able to hand them to dry.

And when I need some garlic I just walk over and twist some off!

If you need more of a visual check out this video!

By braiding garlic, you can keep it in a cool, dry place and it will keep for months!