Garlic: An Herb Society of America Guide

Craft Uses

The best-known garlic craft is probably the garlic braid, and braiding is an attractive way to display and store garlic. According to Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay, although braided garlic can be used for decorative purposes they don't recommend it as a preservation method since garlic in this form is unprotected and can shrink and lose its flavor over time (39). This won't be a problem if you use your garlic quickly though, and a garlic braid can be both decorative and useful.

How to Make a Garlic Braid
by Susan Belsinger

Making a garlic braid is a simple task—there are a few different ways to do it—however they all basically use a braiding technique, just like you would use to braid hair. You can make a braid with as few as three bulbs, but I have seen braids at festivals that were 20 and 30 feet in length! A good-sized braid that looks attractive and makes a great gift can be made with twelve or thirteen bulbs.

Softneck garlic must be used to make braids—just try braiding some hardneck and you'll see why. The garlic should be cured for at least 2 weeks. I have harvested garlic from the garden, cleaned off the soil, and braided it then and there, but I do not believe that this is the best way to go. Although the tops are more pliable when first harvested, which makes it easier to braid, I don't think it dries as well and there is more of a chance of mold or rotting. If you do make your braids right after harvesting, hang or lay them in a dry place, out of sunlight, with good air circulation for at least 2 weeks until the foliage is dry.

I generally harvest my garlic, clean it up a bit and remove any black or diseased-looking leaves, and let it cure for 2 weeks (see Curing section). When I'm ready to make some braids, I choose good-looking firm heads, and sort them for size. I brush them free of dried soil and usually I trim the roots back to ½ an inch or so; sometimes I like them shaggy. I don't mind if the bulbs have a little earth on them. For a more perfect look, you can peel off the outermost skin; take care to leave at least a few of the papery wrappers surrounding the bulb.

I often make my braids with cured garlic just the way it dries. However after curing, the leaves have stiffened and become less pliable in the drying process. If this is a bother for you, or it is too hard to work with, you can moisten JUST the foliage, NOT THE BULBS. You can do this with a spray bottle of water. Spritz just the dried foliage and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes, perhaps bending them a bit, working them gently with your hands. I have also read instructions that wrap the foliage in between two damp towels, leaving the bulbs hanging out.

Choose three good-looking bulbs to begin your braid; place the bulbs facing away from you and tops toward you. Lay down two of the bulbs so that their foliage is crisscrossing just above the bulbs. Lay the third bulb in between the first two, over the cross. (Sometimes for extra reinforcement you can tie a piece of twine around the base of third bulb and braid the twine along with the foliage. I've tried this but generally don't do it.) Make one set of three fairly tight crossovers with the first three garlics, just as if you were beginning to braid hair. Add a fourth bulb and intertwine its foliage with the foliage of one of the first two garlics, work three crossovers tightly, and add a fifth bulb, intertwining its foliage into the braid. Continue braiding and adding bulbs. Braids look best if the bulbs are close together. Depending upon how long the foliage is and how long your braid is, the foliage of the initial three bulbs may run out, but the continuously added garlic will add new foliage to braid.

When you have finished adding bulbs, you can continue braiding the foliage and make it as long as you like. Or, you can tie off the braid with a few rounds of twine and trim the foliage braid to whatever length appeals to you. You can also stick chiles and/or everlastings into the braided foliage for added color and ornamentation. Sometimes I loop the braided top around and hang it from the loop or I might tie a round of twine around the end of the braided foliage and make a loop of twine to hang it from. If you have moistened the foliage, let the braid lay flat until the foliage dries, before hanging.

Keep the braids in a cool dry place. Although garlic braids are used for decoration, if they hang around for too long the bulbs will dry and shrivel and you won't be able to eat them. I hang my garlic and keep a pair of scissors on hand, snipping a bulb from the bottom of the braid as I need it. I work my way up the braid until the garlic is gone and move on to the next braid. Eat your garlic— don't let it gather dust!

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