Storing your chives: method and tips
Use of chives
This perennial aromatic herb can be grown both in the garden and in pots , in the kitchen, so that you can harvest it according to your needs. These leaves are tasty ingredients that bring freshness and deliciousness to your recipes. Discover on the "recipe" tab URBAN CUISINE our suggestions: Verrine avocado, salmon & Common Chives , Common Chives Vinaigrette , Mashed potatoes and Common Chives and many more.
You can harvest your chives whenever you want , however to keep them fresh all year round , it is important to know how to store them well.
How to store chive leaves?
First step: take your chive sprigs
Once your chives are about 15cm long, cut a few sprigs with scissors. Be careful to cut them at the base , otherwise they will harden and their ends will turn yellow.
Sort the stalks and keep the best ones. Rinse them to remove the soil, then drain them in a colander. Finally, wrap a tea towel around the chive sprigs so they can dry.
2 tips for storing chives in the fridge
1) For a week
- Dampen a paper towel with a little water
- Wrap it around your chive sprigs
- Place everything in a freezer bag or in an airtight box that you will put in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator
- Renew the absorbent paper every two days
2) Refrigerate for 5 days
- Tie your chives in a bouquet
- Put this bouquet in a glass of water
- Cover the chives with a freezer bag or plastic wrap
- Last step: put everything in the fridge
2 Tips for Freezing Chives
Freezing is particularly suitable for preserving certain aromatic herbs such as chives, parsley and mint because it keeps them fresh while retaining all their flavors.
1) In a freezer bag to freeze for two months
- Chop the chives
- Place the chopped chives in a freezer bag
- Write down the date and the name of the variety
- Put the bag in the freezer
2) In an ice cube tray
- Chop the chives
- Spread the chopped chives in an ice cube tray
- Fill the holes with water
- Put everything in the freezer as you would with classic ice cubes
2 Methods to dry chives
Drying allows the aromatic herbs to be preserved for several years. It is particularly suitable for thyme , rosemary , bay leaf and oregano. However, drying parsley, chives,cilantro , mint , and basil can lighten their flavors. If you really want to keep these herbs fresh, then favor freezing methods.
1) In the open air
- Tie your chive stalks in a bouquet
- Hang them upside down in a ventilated place away from direct sunlight
- Leave them hanging for at least a week
2) In the microwave
- Lay the chive leaves flat on absorbent paper.
- Cover with another paper towel
- Put it all in the microwave next to a ramekin filled with water
- Heat for 30 seconds
- Check the drying of the leaves
- Heat again for 30 seconds if necessary, until the chive leaves are dry
How to store chive flowers?
1) Dry the flowers
- During the flowering season, harvest the stems that have flowers (this will also delay the bolting and maintain the plant )
- Hang the stems in a ventilated place and away from the sun
2) prepare an oil flavored with another aromatic herb: thyme, rosemary, oregano
- Arrange the dried chive flowers in a glass bottle
- You can add an aromatic herb of your choice to combine the flavors
- Pour oil into the bottle
- Leave to macerate for 3 weeks
Do you want to start storing chives?
Discover our products perfectly adapted to its cultivation, starting with our Cork Pot, which allows you to cultivate a Common Chive plant for several months thanks to our Cultivation Mound: a 3-in-1 capsule including soil, seeds and nutrients to ensure your plant has the best possible growth!
Also discover all our tips for maintaining and preserving your fruits, vegetables and aromatic herbs on the URBAN CUISINE blog: " How to preserve coriander?" , " Cut lettuce: our maintenance advice ", " Cayenne pepper cultivation: what you need to know " and many more.
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