A decorative way of storing onions and garlic is to plait them. This looks more complicated than it is!

1. Choose 12 onions with stalks still on them, trim the roots to about an inch and clean them.

2. Place three together flat in a line and move the middle one to sit slightly slower than the other two.

3. Take the leaves of the left onion and bind them around the leaves of the middle and right one to make a kind of knot.

4. Plait the stalks then place another onion above the middle one, aligning its leaves with those of the original middle onion. Plait it in sequence.

5. Add another onion above the one on the left, again, lining its leaves up with the original left onion. Plait it in.

6. Add another above the right onion, align the leaves and again, plait it in.

7. Repeat this sequence until the onions are incorporated or until you think the string is getting too heavy.

8. Create a loop with some twine and hang in the kitchen if they are to be used imminently or ina cool dark place.

Storing onions in this way denies mice a snack and also enables better air circulation but they still need to be hung in a cool, dark place when not being used.