MAKE AN ONION DRYING RACK
Onions and garlic will store better if dry. Joyce Russell shows how to make a purpose-built drying rack Pictures: Ben Russell
The onion and garlic crop comes to its best in July and August.There’s nothing quite like the sight of all those lovely big bulbs and the knowledge that you will have plenty to eat through the winter months. With a good-sized onion bed, and maybe a sowing in autumn as well as in spring, it is perfectly possible to have a year-round supply of these tasty vegetables.
There is just one small hitch. August is often the second wettest month of the year, so just at the point when you lift the crop and spread it to dry in the sun, rain comes along to dampen everything down. If you have a large airy shed, or even an attic with good ventilation, then maybe this is no problem. Spread the bulbs out and they will dry, but they do store best if they have been dried in fresh air and with a bit of sun to harden the skins.