How many of you cook with onions to flavor your cuisines? I use onions in just about anything from salsa, stir fry, to omelet’s. You name it and sure enough sliced or chopped onions are in it. Onions have been around for centuries. I found an article dating far back as 1200 BCE. The widespread popularity of the onion is not limited to modern-day kitchens. There is evidence of onions being used for culinary and medicinal purposes all over the ancient world. No culture revered the onion quite as much as the ancient Egyptians. For them, the onion was not just food or medicine, it held deep spiritual power and purpose. It symbolized eternal life.
Braided onions aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, the technique of braiding and hanging them provide better air circulation around the onions than storing them in a bin. It is efficient because the weight of the onions are distributed evenly vs. a few heavy onions on the top squashing and bruising the onions underneath.
Over the years I’ve discovered three different ways to braid onions. I identified one the ways to be the easiest and the quickest. One of the procedures to braid an onion rope is shown in the diagram A. The draw backs on this technique is that it unravels at the end if you don’t tie it with twine. Gravity kicks in and the onions take a tumble and become bruised. There goes all the labor of love you invested in. Ruins your harvest due to gravity.
The following years harvest, I came across another technique of braiding onion ropes. The Diagram B introduces the twine. The twine is braided in, building a stronger braid prevent the onions from falling. although this is a great technique, it seemed tedious and time consuming yet functional. I didn’t lose any onions from the daily attacks of gravity.
Lastly, this is my most favorite and I have found the quickest technique yet. I discovered this technique from gracegardenandhomestead.com on pinterest. I would highly recommend and teach this technique to family and friends. You can view the website article here with an image of each step. Here are the simple steps.
Your start with dried and cure onions. Cut tops about six inches above the bulb. If you dry the onion to long the tops become too dry and brittle. You want to make sure that the onion tops are thin dry, and/or easy to manipulate. Next you’ll want to have a loop of twine. Put the onion top through to the bottom of your loop, then bend the onion top back past the first string, and then bend it again back around the second string. Your creating a figure eight. When placing the next onion on the braid, the key is to place the top in the opposite direction than the end of the last one was facing. Again bend it back around both strings creating a figure eight. Repeat to the desire length and weight of the onion braid.
If your onions are properly cured, the tops should stay in place. All your instincts will tell you it cant possibly hold. But amazingly it truly does. I was surprised how quick this technique was. In fact I was looking around for more onions to braid and sadly realized I had already braided them all. I might just grow double the amount for next years harvest. I think it might make a wonderful gift to hand out for the upcoming holidays or even make a wonderful house warming gift accompanied with gourmet spice blends.
When you are ready to cook the onions, using scissors clip them from the top down. Hang the braid in a cool, dry, and dark space for storage. This method is by far the best in my experience. Which one is your favorite technique?
Welcome to Life Beyond The City. A blog that encompasses so many of the things that I love and my quest for self sufficiency.
