Storing and braiding garlic

[@Me-td8eo]

Thanks for keeping it real. Enjoy your garlic 🧄

[@eliandkate]

We are absolutely enjoying it. Always awesome to be eating our homegrown veggies

[@robinscontainergarden]

I've always admired how you're so honest with your videos, Eli. It did look amazing. Nothing wrong with storing garlic like you do, either. 😉

[@eliandkate]

Does the job 😛

[@TheEnthusiasticGardener]

Oh Eli I loved this. “This sucks”!!! Everything looks easy on KZbin videos doesn’t it? 😂 you made me smile. Lovely looking garlic though!! ❤

[@eliandkate]

We’ll chuffed with my garlic 😍😍😍

[@barabas13]

I love how Steve keeps saying “ well this is a lot easier than I thought it would be” 😂🤣

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂 makes you wonder why he thought it’s be hard. I thought it would be easy 😂😂😂

[@kimosborne3454]

Well done for giving it a go and showing that things don’t always go to plan and it’s ok to try and not succeed,

[@eliandkate]

Absolutely

[@heatherd212]

🇨🇦 Thanks for showing real life 🫣😂

[@eliandkate]

Always 😁

[@markcrichton3257]

I do not have the patience for this and watching you struggle solidified that. Life is too short 😂😂😂😂 Thanks for sharing.

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂 not even for instagram!!!

[@GemInTheGarden]

This video is so fabulous I can't put it into words! My fave saying is 'is the juice worth the squeeze?' I would say in this case.....no! 😅 I loved how you kept going Eli 😊😂in true showbiz style! Fantastic video 👍☺️🥰

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂 thank you Gemma I wish I’d stopped at 10… it was looking alright

[@GemInTheGarden]

It was! 😅

[@i.a.4694]

Thxs for a real hard laugh. Enjoyed it very much.

[@veppie0]

I love this, you are awesome in showing insta-perfection is not the real world. Thank you!

[@eliandkate]

We’ll it is…. For some folk. Just not for someone with my level of patience 😂😂😂

[@bwolf0003]

Lesson learned....you had so much patience--trying to teach us all....well done. I typically just cut mine down and store in a bag! Well done!

[@eliandkate]

I doubt I’ll try again

[@simplifygardening]

Great video Eli sorry only just getting to it but had to take a break. Thanks for the mention too :)

[@eliandkate]

A break is an awesome thing. Hope everything is settling down and letting you breathe 😁

[@colleenstinton-czuprynski9894]

❤❤❤❤❤Yup, life is too bloody short!

[@GardenerScott]

Great effort and wonderful video. Hard neck garlic can be very difficult to braid. Soft neck varieties are easy to braid and I think that's what most of the successful videos show. Some of us no longer attempt to braid after failing with the hard necks. 😄

[@eliandkate]

Me, me… that’ll be me!

[@sarabelden7092]

My husband's grandmother didn't make fancy of pretty garlic braids because she grew hardneck. She used some kitchen twine tied it to the end one then around each additional head she added. Sometimes if it was feeling "loose" she'd keep braiding a bit but wouldn't add any additional heads for a couple twists of the braid. They would never have made it on Instagram but they worked fine for her needs. This was a very fine first attempt, may next year it go smoother for you!

[@eliandkate]

Someone else mentioned they just used cable ties every three bulbs 😂😂😂

[@theladysgardenandhome]

NOT a FAIL! You did have a lovely garlic harvest. Since I have no where to hang mine dry that would protected enough from humidity and rain, I'm planning on chopping and freezing. Not glamorous or IG worthy, but I'll still have my garlic harvest. (Fingers Crossed).

[@eliandkate]

And you’ll still have heaps of lovely garlic to use

[@marie-theresehayes6875]

At least you tried and at least you managed to grow garlic!

[@eliandkate]

Indeed 😁

[@RealFoodComesDirty]

Hilarious, Eli! Buy a beautiful braid next time. That's 1 of the reasons I grow hardneck garlic, no braiding possible!

[@eliandkate]

Yeah it’s defo easier with softneck. By the time I got to ten, it was just getting to thick to work with

[@skygazer1024]

Thanks for sharing that things aren’t always as easy as others make it look. Bright side is you got a great harvest this year.

[@eliandkate]

Indeed 😍

[@elainemarie1473]

It was definitely a lovely harvest!

[@lizatrue7543]

I laughed so hard at the end. Been there, done that. Things visualized don't always equate to reality for sure! Another wonderful (and entertaining) video! 😂🧄🧄🧄

[@eliandkate]

Glad you got a laugh My garlic is just as tasty even if it isn’t an instagram star 😂😂

[@peggydove8756]

The best laugh I've had for days!! She's great!

[@hikerlindacanadianrockies8478]

OMG, I can totally relate! I would end up doing the same thing. 🤣

[@eliandkate]

I think a lot of us have Been through this

[@jennyjohnson9012]

Oh my word I did laugh. Your plait looked like mine! I started off ok then it all got loose and ended up looking like a pigs breakfast!! I gave up and just tied them up and hung them in the barn. The main thing is we got a good harvest Eli !!

[@eliandkate]

Exactly!!!

[@louisehunter9121]

And you didn’t even swear - class 🤩

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂 I’m beginning to worry about you guys. There’s a lot of throwing things and swearing being mentioned

[@samanthahoos9827]

Love this video for the reality of trying to braid garlic! 😂 Hanging food around my home is like rolling it in cat fur - not a good idea. Thank you for keeping it real!!!! 😊

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂😂 oh I understand that one

[@peggydove8756]

I know what I would have done! 🤣🤣🤣

[@Jimsraisedbedgarden]

Great effort Eli , braver than me I don't even try to do it , easy when you know how I'm sure xx

[@AngelaM745]

I so had this issue, mine went flying, then I started again 😂 I'm very impressed how calm you stayed and how you reflected 😊

[@eliandkate]

Ha ha ha Common sense would have said take a break and start again

[@lizhodge3537]

And this is what I like about the majority of you tube gardening channels, you show it like it is, not everything perfect like on the TV shows. I am not patient and I would have slubg them and walked away. All i do with my garlic is dry it out then bunch the stems together and tie with string and hang them in the garage. It works for me and if the odd one slips out from the bunch I just take it in the house and use when required. Anything for an easy life, as you say lifes too short for unecessary faffing about.

[@eliandkate]

Indeed… it works….

[@denisekelley2292]

You're harvest looks really good and that's what really important. Thank you for making us feel better about ourselves when we try and don't succeed at getting the perfect look. My garlic is in a basket in the pantry.

[@annickaprevander9863]

Hi, you are absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes things don't go as planned.. and you still want to show us how it went.. Thank you for your arrangement and a good laugh. You are the best. ❤

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂

[@wendygassman4826]

Thank you for sharing! I think it looked beautiful, but I do understand.

[@chicosgarden]

You had a great garlic harvest! I loved this video because it is the reality of gardening and learning etc. Thanks for sharing

[@eliandkate]

My pleasure Fran 😂😂😂

[@chrissiehart22]

Great attempt! At least you now know! I started my garlic this year and even though very small I still got some. I'm always happy to get anything. Think I might give it a try with my thimble sized garlic just for fun x

[@eliandkate]

Any garlic is good! I agree!!

[@Tamsins_Potager]

I really admire you for giving it a red hot go! 🔥 And that's why I chop my garlic down and store it in veggie mesh bags too! 😂 Thanks for sharing 😊 You got an amazing harvest, and that's what it's all about 🧄❤

[@eliandkate]

I agree 😍

[@Garden-of-weeden]

I’d of lost my temper way before you did!! X

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂

[@barbaraellison27]

Thanks

[@eliandkate]

Wow thanks Barbara Glad you enjoyed my braiding flop so much 😂

[@2galsfarmworks]

I did the exact same thing last year. Garlic braids look so cool. I tried 3 times and said “screw it, not happening”. Here some are making garlic bouquets. Much easier but not as cool. I think I’ll save the stress and use a burlap bag as well! 😂😂. Good try!

[@eliandkate]

Good plan 😂😂😂

[@glassbackdiy3949]

2 tips if you decide to try again next yr with hardneck, leave the stems under a damp towel overnight beforehand, and then use a rolling pin to flatten the hard stems before platting, this make them a lot more pliable and easier to work!

[@lyndaturner6686]

I managed a reasonable plait last year but this year it was more messy , I just tied them up and still hung them from the hooks In my kitchen, your so right life is to short as long as they store ok what does it matter how they look.

[@charlotteinnocent8752]

This is why I have an extra freezer!

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂

[@brianeasson889]

Nah, I took the easy option, an old shredder bin and some garden wire strung across it, works a treat, but well done for persevering Eli 😅

[@eliandkate]

Works a treat!!!

[@54cal54]

You did better than I would have, that would make my head hurt. Just clean it and put it in a paper bag works for me.

[@eliandkate]

Works a treat!

[@RizeTB1]

Man I would kill to have a harvest like that. Great work. Maybe cheat and use the thread around each then braid that. Kind of like stringing chilies 🌶️ But that is obviously not what the video is about. Your videos are instagram beautiful to me😊 I’m envious of your garden.

[@eliandkate]

Someone else commented that they cabled tied all theirs together 😂😂😂

[@SuzMcDonaldWellbeing]

Bless you gave it a go that’s what matters. It looks really hard to me. I love that you still went ahead and shared this with us because, as I’ve learned from you, gardening is about it all not just the successes. And most importantly, that sure is a fine harvest of garlic. I’m going to try growing some next year.

[@eliandkate]

Exactly….. heaps of garlic 😍

[@mariedeyo7399]

Oh Eli, I am sorry it did not work, try next time with less, dont make them so close together or make two .try doing it more like a french brad. And you can still try with your onions. That looks nice too. In the end, it just matters that you have garlic from the garden ❤

[@eliandkate]

Ach it’s fine They are still tasty

[@astridvaneverdingen5180]

I think you had it just right!!

[@eliandkate]

Yay!

[@Cordelia0704p]

You did way better than my attempt last year :)

[@eliandkate]

Hurrah so not a complete nightmare then?

[@Cordelia0704p]

@@eliandkate hahaha no. I had leaves and garlic bulbs flying everywhere it was a mess

[@oreopaksun2512]

Eli, maybe you, Kate and Gardener Scott should have a Braid-Off before the next year's garlic or onion harvest....even though I wonder if Scott has prior practice in braiding granddaughters' or their dolls' hair; in which case we have to think of a handicap.

[@eliandkate]

Oh defo handicap needed in that instance! What do you think Scott?

[@anniejefferson7329]

😂. My gram always grouped and hung. Looked like a garlic potted plant. Old Italian gram didn't braid. Let it go. Let it go. Lol. Oh and I saw a lady with a slatted fence like you got behind you. Succulent garden.

[@lesliescully3544]

😂😂😂 I feel so much better about my attempts.

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂

[@petpawteek8776]

😂😂oh, I’m so sorry for laughing…I assure you, it’s in commiseration! My first year braiding I resorted to zip ties… Yep, I put down three bulbs of garlic, zip tied them. Put three more on top, zip tied them all together. Three more and another zip tie…And so on. Onions are much easier for me to braid so I’ve stuck to braiding those. I just cut the garlic bulbs off and store them away now.😂

[@eliandkate]

That’s genius!!!

[@ninahannum1894]

I do garlic braids. It is not always easy. But it is much easier with soft neck garlic.

[@eliandkate]

Yeah hardneck a make it quite bulky

[@budj13]

First let me say good on you for giving it a go! I just braided my garlic a few days ago so we are on the same schedule it seems. I had them drying in my shed for a while and they were ready. I don't know if you had a softneck variety there, but I grew soft neck this year specifically because I was told you can't braid the hard neck varieties-- it is just too difficult. I have two nice braids hanging in the garage pantry shelf but they are not as pretty as those ones on Instagram. I saved my biggest bulbs for seed stock this fall. Thanks for the great video. It was a lot of fun to watch.

[@eliandkate]

Yeah softneck is a lot easier to work with. Hardneck isn’t impossible, as you saw it actually worked… it’s just that eventually it gets too thick and stiff to keep braiding 😍

[@AV-ze2hf]

That must have been so frustrating when filming! I remember last year, I’m gonna braid the garlic, it looks wonderful and I had a nice harvest as well. I watched also youtube (3 out of the 4 suggestions you mentioned) thinking with full confidence “I can do this” only to realize after the 9 garlic, “why, why, why, is it such a tangled mess!” Cut them up and stored them. This year I don’t have such luck, I used three of the garlic of last year but what you showed as your smallest? Was actually one of my biggest. No idea what happened, but they are so utterly tiny, not bothering braiding them. Maybe next time? Anyway wonderful video of a lesson learned. And remember if you can’t do it right, you haven’t practice enough (I use that mantra when sowing clothing 😉 ). Thank you again, you made me smile.

[@eliandkate]

Next year !!!!

[@carmengiles456]

😂 great video. You are brave trying that for the first time on camera. If that had been me, those garlic bulbs would have been launched into the garden - along with many #@%!'s & the like.

[@eliandkate]

So many people have said that 😂😂😂 you are a violent lot

[@lindarobertson8505]

I was waiting for you to swear, throw them down on the chair and walk off 😂

[@eliandkate]

Me??? I don’t swear!!!!! 😂😂😂😂

[@lindarobertson8505]

​​@@eliandkate You only do it on the days of the week that have a Y in them 😉 I'd have been swearing after the first 3 😂😂😂

[@angelad.8944]

@@lindarobertson8505 I was thinking the same thing. I wouldn't have lasted that long! Kudos for sticking with it as long as you did Eli. ☺

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂😂

[@lindarobertson8505]

@angelad.8944 I don't grow garlic but when i saw the title of the video I thought to myself (with a smile on my face) 'well this is going to go one of two ways' 😂

[@barbaraellison27]

🥴🥴😈😅😅😅😅I’m a new subscriber. I absolutely luv your videos. Very informative and great to watch and learn thank you so much 👍👍

[@eliandkate]

Welcome to the gang Barbara 😍😍😍

[@elizabethworsley6836]

Been there done it and never again so annoying 😂 at least you tried x

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@kateg730]

I braid garlic every year (not pretty but def functional). Have failed spectacularly this year - harvested and put in shed to dry (normal spot in garage not possible due to building work) and went away for two weeks. Stalks are totally dry but also rock hard! So much so I gave up braiding and have bunched together! Next yr back to garage as that always works. At least it’s still edible - that’s the main thing!!

[@eliandkate]

It absolutely is!!! Hurrah for having harvests!

[@tamieschimpf9214]

I love this video. I am so sorry you had such a frustrating time and I love that future Eli was able to laugh about it. I always want to do this but I grow hard neck garlic so I am not able to braid it. I thought about growing soft neck garlic next year to do this very thing but have decided to stick with the garlic I love. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Big Hugs

[@eliandkate]

It is harder to braid but heaps of folk were braiding hard neck when I was looking Might be worth a try

[@tamieschimpf9214]

@@eliandkate I will take a look. Thanks so much. Tell Kate Hi. I miss seeing her

[@eliandkate]

I’ll give her your wishes

[@vmcshannon]

I think it’s easier to braid soft neck garlic. 🤷‍♀️❤️

[@eliandkate]

It defo is

[@tammyohlsson7966]

I had to laugh because I did the same thing. Tried and said bad words. Maybe next year, probably not!

[@oreopaksun2512]

Awww! Eli, you HAD it! Even @12:00 where the sneaky doubts were creeping in, a little cord through some of the stalks at the top of the bulbs and tied off would have stabilized all those bulbs, and given you a new start (divide the bunch of tops again into three, and go like the beginning). The bulb additions would have covered the tie and everything would have held. But that IS a great garlic harvest. I don't want to braid, cause anyone who wanted a garlic bulb out of my braid would be missing fingers!!! GRRRR! And what's the point of growing lovely garlic, only to have it gather dust cause everyone is afraid to touch it? BTW, I cheat at Origami, too, bits of double sided tape, and who is going to tell?

[@eliandkate]

Kate will be horrified that you cheat at origami 😂😂😂 that’s one of her hobbies

[@oreopaksun2512]

@@eliandkate Oh, then I can't let her examine my origami creations closely. My money will be on Kate for the Braid-Off, as long as she gets gloves to protect her hands.

[@carolinebown8686]

You did brilliantly ... such patience...Great garlic harvest ... how long does it last for once picked ? 😊😊😊xx

[@eliandkate]

If you dry it and store it properly it’ll get you through winter (if you have enough)

[@elainemarie1473]

I think they look pretty good, but I'd heard to only try to braid softneck garlic 😅 so that might be why it's giving you such trouble Thank you for sharing your experience

[@eliandkate]

it is yeah, the hard neck don't go as soft

[@elainemarie1473]

I had small hardneck garlic that had kind of went wild from the lady that owned the house before me. I tried so hard to braid it. It didn't happen 😅 no matter how hard I tried. The necks were all thin enough(because they were little ones) that I was sure it would work, I was so very wrong. They just kept cracking and stabbing my hands🤣

[@tennesseenana4838]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a video from Teri, with Danu's Irish Herb Garden. It was about bradding onions and she said you can do the same with garlic. It looked simple and easy to do. I have to shut this down to look for it and I'll put it in another comment.

[@eliandkate]

Ha ha ha I’m sure it is… I just didn’t have a good day with it

[@tennesseenana4838]

@@eliandkate Found it! It's under her Freezing and Hanging video and the hanging info starts at 13:00 minutes. It's not a real braid but looks better than one - at least to me.

[@justine2488]

I can do the braid but I can't grow garlic anyway near as nice as yours. For some reason this year's seems to have tiny, black mites! (it has rust and I wondered if it's something to do with that??) Don't think I'll be braiding it to hang in my kitchen!!😂

[@eliandkate]

Noooooooo

[@CSaville]

I tried this for the first time last year...the results were definitely not pretty! You really made me laugh when you described losing track of left right and middle, exactly the same happened to me. In the end I considered just tying them together with string. It looks so easy when the experts do it. Unlike you however I made a terrible schoolboy error in storing it in my shed which I discovered wasn't frost proof when we had the big freeze last January! Lost the lot after it froze and then thawed out. Plan B this year 😁

[@eliandkate]

Oh no! That sucks!!

[@CSaville]

@@eliandkate Your effort looked so much better than mine and the mess i made was horrendous lol

[@GraeMatterz]

Sometimes you just have to chuck it in the f*ck it bucket and move on. I attempted to do a braid one time a lifetime ago and gave up. I haven't grown garlic since. (A situ of not having the time when I had the space or not having the space when I had the time.) I don't know if it was because of the variety I was using but had the same problem with the stems being too thick. I wonder if a soft neck or hard neck variety is better for braiding. Or if bending the stems to soften them beforehand would help. 🤔 I'm just building my garden area currently and hope to have it ready to plant next spring and maybe I'll make another go at garlic. Thanks for keeping it real, Eli!

[@eliandkate]

Yeah softneck is much easier to braid but I don’t grow any so thought I’d do my best 😂😂😂

[@offgridnorthern]

So you do know that hard neck garlic isn’t easy to braid? Likely the ones on instagram that look so cool are using a soft neck variety You gave us a good laugh here in midcanada where we hang about 100 bulbs/year - unbraided

[@eliandkate]

Yeah I knew I was setting myself a challenge but you have to have some fun right?

[@offgridnorthern]

@@eliandkate well you gave us a good laugh! Thanks for the entertainment!

[@andymacrae1093]

Hate doing it , done it. Hate it it never works I swear an awful lot Hate it Aaaaaarrrrghhhh And Relax x

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂😂

[@julie-annepineau4022]

You did a good job until it just got too much. I thought it worked with soft neck garlic better. Hard neck stalk is just too hard from what I understood.

[@eliandkate]

Yeah would be much easier with softneck

[@catsmother4556]

No fail just a lesson learned. Mabe try with a soft neck variety next time, I’m sure it will be easier. 🧄

[@Plot-NG6]

I think you did very well I would have thrown it down the garden by now🧄🧄🧄🧄

[@eliandkate]

😂😂😂😂