Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Thursday, August 10, 2006

How to string onions

This post was originally published in 2006. Since then I keep getting googled on the subject and comments still appear from time to time. Here it is again:

1. Try to keep the leaf tops as long as possible do not trim them. When drying them it is best to string when they are slightly moist otherwise they will snap if they are bone dry.

2. Choose any onion with the longest, strongest leaf; this will be your primary vertical stalk. Take another onion and hold it next to the first, then take the second stalk round the back of the vertical then towards you, then under the neck of the 2nd onion , then take both stalks vertical. So the 2nd onion stalk has gone 360 degrees round the vertical stalk, under itself then up.

3. You should now have two vertical stalks, hold them together just above the join.

4. Take a 3rd onion, place it next to the 2nd and take the 3rd stalk 360 degrees right round the two vertical stalks, under itself and then up. You should now have 3 vertical stalks which you hold tightly just above the join.

5. Continue like this, fitting in the new onions as close as possible. The vertical stalks will replace each other and you can make the string as long as you want, shorter ones about 12" are best and strongest. Personally I find 12" is just fine for me.....

6. It is important to keep hold of the vertical stalk just above the top onion at all times. When you have created your desired length.... tie a string round the top making a loop to hang it. Alternatively, start by tying string round the very bottom stalks and wind string round the central stalk all the way up for extra stability and then tie a knot and a loop at the top.

7. Trim the straggly bits at the top, stand back and enjoy your creation - hang them on your bicycle bars and ride round town!

9 Comments:

At 10:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's a wet day so I'm off to the shed for my first attempt at stringing. Sadly do not have a bicycle!

 
At 12:22 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

how dry do the onions need to be as it just dosnt seem to stop raining how best do i dry them help

 
At 6:19 PM, Blogger Matron said...

Sharon, that's a tricky one given the wet Summer we've had. If you leave them in the ground they will probably rot. I suggest lifting them and dry them on the floor of a garage or on a mesh in a shed. Dry means that the roots must be dry and the neck and leaves must be dry.

 
At 10:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Having a french day at school - thanks for making my costume complete!

 
At 3:33 PM, Blogger daisy said...

Have just pulled my first onions....you'd think I'd just given birth....thanks for the info on stringing them
daisy

 
At 8:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

From fenland piker
Just grown my best crop of onions this season, lasts years crop was very poor, wife is now stringing them up for storage, should last the winter.

 
At 10:18 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

bumper onion harvest this year, the kitchen is full of strings of onions. dont want to mention the 12" to the wife - makes me feel inadequate

 
At 9:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just been looking at my shallots in pots wondering how to tie them when harvested. Now I know! Many thanks for your instructions

 
At 10:37 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Have got about 200 large onions this year. I'll need to get bigger handlebars :)

 

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