How to Braid Garlic

A thrilling gift for vampire-phobic friends, braided garlic presents an efficient way to store garlic while preserving its flavor. It also adds a homespun sensibility to kitchen decor.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3 to 12 fresh cloves of garlic
• Twine
• Toothbrush (optional)
• Ribbon (optional)
• Moist towel

1. Clean the cloves of garlic.

2. Lay the three largest cloves out next to each other, with their leaves laid out above them. The middle clove should be lower than the outer two so that all the clovers can sit equally close to the braid.

3. Move the stem for the right clove over the others.

4. Wrap the left stem, which is not in the middle, under the stem for the middle clove.

5. Continue wrapping the stems around each other until there is room for another row of cloves to sit on top of the others.

6. Add more cloves by setting them above the original three and adding their stems with one of the others so that you can move them as one set.

7. Space out the added stems, making sure to keep the proportions even.

8. Tie the stems together at the top with twine. Leaving a gap in the back and retying will create a loop that can be used for hanging.

Tips & Warnings

• Use fresh garlic. The leaves should still be attached.
• If you garlic appears brittle, dampen two towels in warm water and let the garlic set between them for 20 minutes.
• Use a toothbrush to clean the outside of the garlic before you braid.
• Depending on what you want the decoration to look like, the outer layer of the clove can remain or be removed.
• Ribbon or other visually appealing material can be placed over the twine for additional decoration.

[eclecktic]

on 9/13/2008 Wish I could vote 0 stars. This was written by an editor? The term for the things you braid are garlic BULBS not cloves. Cloves are the individual portions inside of a bulb. Leaves? Leaves are not harvested with the bulbs. I think you mean the papery casings or stems. This should be totally re-written. I would also worry that if you dampen already cured and dried garlic with a wet towel as you instruct, you'll end up with moldy garlic after interfering with the drying and curing like that.