Why onions are braided for winter: A gardener explains how to do it properly

Onion braids may evoke a grandmother’s farmhouse, but their appeal is practical as well as nostalgic. Robin Sweetser, a longtime gardener and author of a blog for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, braids onions every autumn at the small greenhouse farm she runs with her partner.

She hangs the braids in a storage room, where she says the onions can last until the following spring. The method allows air to circulate around the bulbs, keeps them within easy reach and lets her select and cut an individual onion without dismantling the entire braid.

Not every onion belongs in long-term storage. Sweetser recommends choosing firm, healthy, undamaged bulbs that have dried completely. Bulbs with thick, partly green necks, digging or transport damage, soft spots, rot, new shoots, disease or pest damage should be eaten first.

Variety also affects storage life. Hotter onions intended for long storage generally keep better than juicy, sweet varieties, even when both have dried under the same conditions.

After harvesting, Sweetser dries the onions on wire racks for about a week. She starts braiding when the leaves have almost lost their green color but have not become completely dry. If the leaves become brittle, they can break during braiding, allowing bulbs to fall when the braid is lifted.

For a stronger braid, she uses three lengths of thick cord. She attaches each of the first three onions to a separate cord and begins braiding as she would braid hair, gradually adding another onion to each section.

The finished braids need a cool, dry and well-ventilated place. Condensation, large temperature swings and high humidity are unsuitable. A warm kitchen may display a braid attractively for a short time, but warmth can make onions sprout and soften faster. An unheated garage can work as long as temperatures stay above freezing. When colder weather approaches, the braids should be moved to a cellar, a cool storage area or another place that will not freeze.