We are finally having the kind of weather that Swedes have been waiting for all summer: blue skies, warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and light breezes. I'm in heaven, and still have four more days before I have to go back to work!
Yesterday I spent the whole day poolside with a book. I managed to pick four ripe cucumbers, but that was it as far as gardening goes. The weather looks equally promising today, so I was up early to take care of a few things before resuming yesterday's position. First on the list was garlic braiding.
You'll want to remember that this was my first time...
The garlic is perfectly cured now, after three weeks hanging in the woodshed. You'll remember me saying that you want to harvest garlic when two-thirds of the leaves are brown? Well, you'll want to let it continue to dry completely for the best braid.
I set aside four nice heads to plant for next year's crop, then was ready to start.
Cleaning the dirt from the heads, removing the outer skins, excess leaves and cutting the roots was time-consuming and, if I'm going to be honest, not a lot of fun; but then they were ready to braid.
You'll want to think French braid while doing this. Everytime you fold over the stems you add a new head.
You have to try to keep the braid nice and tight. Keeping the braid nice and tight while using one hand to take a picture is a talent to be proud of.
When you get to the end, tie it off. It really wasn't that hard... Not if you've ever braided hair, that is.
From the back you can see the actual braid.
Two heads already used, four set aside for seed, and eighteen in the braid. This should hopefully last us through the end of the year. I'm planning on planting twice as much next year, to see us through to the next harvest.
It may sound strange, but learning this old traditional way of storing garlic has made me feel even further away from the grocery store. Picking a liter of strawberries or the ingredients for your salad from your own backyard is fantastic, don't get me wrong. They are at the peak of ripeness, conveniently located, and not a chemical in sight. But learning methods to store produce for the winter months, as they were forced to do in the old days, feels like taking it to a whole new level.
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