From seeds... to table :: Onion Harvesting

Patatoes Harvesting | Cappers Harvesting | Olive oil harvesting | Onion Harvesting


Onion Harvesting

Paola is READY to see how the onions are braided!!!!! She is our little gardener... and she has such enthusiasm and joy for everything that goes on in the garden!!

Once the onions have been harvested, they are left out for a few days so that the tops become limp, but not too dry. That is when they are ready to be braided!!!

The biggest onions go at the bottom of each braid... and Paola was GREAT at finded the biggest of them all!!!!

Mamma Agata says her cousin Nannina is the expert at making the onion braids... and it is truly amazing to watch how fast her hands work!!! Good thing she lives nearby and can come over to help!!!

First the extra dirt has to be cleaned off and the onions checked to make sure they were not damaged in the harvest....

These onions are ready to be braided!!!

Mamma Agata has some help sorting and cleaning the onions... the ones that have broken off from the stems are set aside to be used first...

... and the outer layers of the onions removed so that they are clean and ready to be braided by Nannina!!!

Nannina is always smiling!!! She creates the onion braids without using any twine... she wraps and twists the long dried stems of the onions around and around as she works... the braid getting longer and longer as she goes!!!

One onion is added at a time... and the stems twisted around to form a long braid...

Nannina works so fast that it's hard to even see her technique... one onion is added after the next...

The braid is getting longer!!!

Bunches of onions ready to hang for storage!!!

LOVE the beautiful colors and variations in the onions... thinking of all the wonderful dishes Mamma Agata and Gennaro will prepare!!!!

Once the braid is long enough... the extra legth of the stems are braided together... just like you would braid your hair!!

It helps so much to have another pair of hands to hold the bunch of onions while Nannina braids the stems to hold them all together.

Or... simply place the bunch on the ground and lean over to braid the ends... this is Nannina's preferred technique!!!

The final braid holds the onions together... and the very tip is braided into another bunch of onions to create a loop that makes them easy to hang for storage. Very clever!!!!

Here you can see how Nannina has braided two bunches of onions together... to make it easy to hang up!!!

Some of the first bunches of onions braided and ready for storing... many more to come!!!!

Look at that vibrant color!!!

Nannina works and works and works... twisting and wrapping the onions...

Paola watches as the pile of onion braids gets BIGGER and BIGGER!!!!

It's always a happy sight to see a successful harvest... a great blessing!!!

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