The Best Uses For Chives And All You Ever Wanted To Know

Did you know that chives are actually a pretty plant as well as a yummy garnish? I never really paid attention but my mom always had them around our house. Just recently she brought me a chive plant and not only was I able to use it for a garnish on my food I also enjoy it in my landscaping. It is green with a purple flower. Here is a picture.

I love when a plant has multiple purposes. Speaking of which I knew that you could use chives on a baked potato and it looks pretty but what other uses does it have? Are there any health benefits to chives? I did a little research and figured I would share it with you. Here is what I found.

So…

What can chives be used for?

• Cooking and Baking
• Health
• Landscaping

Chives can be used for a number of things but the 3 basics would be the list I have provided above.

Let’s dig a little deeper…

Cooking and baking with chives

Can you cook with chives?

Yes, you can cook with chives! Like I mentioned I thought that chives were just used as a topping or a garnish. But I was wrong there are lots of recipes that use chives. I did learn that it is best to add the chives in at the end though so you can retain that strong onion flavor.

What foods are the best with chives?

You can obviously put chives in anything that you like an onion flavor but generally, the foods you find chives in the most would be salads, soups, sandwiches, potatoes, and omelets.

What part of the chive do you use for cooking?

When using chives in cooking you will use the stem of the plant. It depends on what you are making but you will usually cut it like the picture shown above.

Is the flower edible?

Yes, it is! A chives flower is generally used in salads. You will just rinse the flower and put it in your salad raw. It will have the same flavor as the stem just a different texture.

Are chives and garlic chives the same thing?

No, chives and garlic chives are not the same things.

Normal chives have an onion flavor. Garlic chives have a garlic flavor. Just like fresh garlic, garlic chives have a very strong aroma. Whereas chives are much more subtle then onions.

How to use chives in a salad?

As I mentioned above you can use either part of the plant in your salad. You will want to wash your chives and after that, you can either cut the stem and put that into your salad or you can put the purple flower in your salad. Both are great. You will want to eat them raw!

Do you need to wash chives?

Yes, you should wash chives. If you grow your own chives you know that they won’t be covered in spray or chemicals. But it is still a good idea to wash your homegrown food.

On the other hand, if you bought your chives then you definitely want to wash them. They will have all the nasty sprays and chemicals on them.

Recipes using chives

You can use chives in really anything that onion would taste good in. But today I will share 5 ideas to get your wheels turning.

1. Chive Eggs (3 ways)

So you technically get 3 recipes here! Deviled eggs are one of our favorite foods around the holidays (or anytime really) and adding the chives really adds another layer of flavor.

Chive deviled eggs

Ingredients

• 1 dozen eggs hard-boiled, peeled and sliced in half
• 5 Tablespoons of mayonnaise.
• 2 Tablespoons of spicy mustard
• ¼ Teaspoon of paprika
• 1 dozen chive stems chopped fine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except chives, paprika, and eggs
2. Separate the hard-boiled yolks from the egg whites and place them in the bowl with the other ingredients.
3. Spoon mixture into egg white halves.
4. Sprinkle with Paprika and chives

Eggs with chive flowers

Because of our farm fresh eggs, we tend to consume a lot of eggs around our house. But they can get boring making them the same way all the time. Adding chives to our eggs help make eating eggs a little more exciting.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons butter
• 2 chive stems with chive flowers
• 2 eggs
• Salt

Instructions

1. In a small pan, heat the butter over medium-low heat.
2. Cut the stems of your chives and leave the flower whole.
3. Place your chives pieces in the heated butter for 30 seconds.
4. Crack the eggs into the pan, add a sprinkle of salt.
5. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the egg whites are cooked but the yolk is still runny.

Scrambled Eggs with chives

Again this is very simple but the chives give it a new level of flavor.

Ingredients

• Eggs
• Chives
• Bacon, other veggies, cheese, whatever toppings you like

Instructions

1. Prepare other toppings for eggs if using
2. Make scrambled eggs (Scrambled egg tip: keep stirring! never let your eggs sit in the pan)
3. Cut up your chives
4. Put your chives and toppings on top of your eggs.

2. Chive Butter

This seems overly simple but trust me it is so yummy! Herb butter is so good. My favorite way to use it is to melt it on my steak.

Ingredients

• Butter
• Chives

Instructions

1. Soften butter
2. Cut chives
3. Mix chives into butter

3. Loaded baked potato

I know potatoes should be eaten in limitations but they are so yummy. And I promise you will love this one. I mean how can you not?

Ingredients

1. Potatoes
2. Chives
3. Cheese
4. Bacon

Instructions

1. Bake the potatoes.

You can bake your potatoes in different ways but I will share the 2 ways I like to bake mine.

• In the oven

The way I baked potatoes before I owned an instant pot was in the oven. This is my process.

1. Wash potatoes
2. Rub olive oil over potatoes
3. Salt potatoes
4. Poke holes in potatoes with a fork
5. Wrap each potato in tin foil
6. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour

This way takes a little longer but it is so worth it. It makes the skin of the potato so crunchy. But if you don’t have time for this method you can make your baked potatoes in the instant pot and it will work just as well.

• In the instant pot

What’s nice about the instant pot is that you can have your potatoes done so much quicker.

1. Wash potatoes
2. Pour a cup of water into the instant pot
3. Place trivet into the pot
4. Poke holes in potatoes with a fork
5. Place potatoes on top of the trivet
6. Select manual setting; adjust the pressure to high, and set the timer for 14 minutes
7. When the potatoes are done cooking, naturally release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions, about 20-30 minutes.

2. Top the potatoes

Now that you have your baked potatoes you will top them with your chives, cheese, bacon, etc.

In my family, we have to have meat to make a meal. We love bacon but sometimes we need a little more than that. So I will make pulled pork and we will put that on our potatoes. Our favorite is potatoes, pulled pork, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives.

4. Chive Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped fresh, chives
• 2 TBS. slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1/8 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix the chives, almonds, cheese, and garlic into the bowl of your food processor.
2. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped.
3. With the machine running, add olive oil to desired consistency
4. Serve on crackers, or slices of toasted bread

5. Chive Vinnegeratte

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Enjoy over salad

Super simple but so yummy! As I said there are lots of ways to cook with chives. These are just a few but experiment and see what ways you love to eat chives.

Health

I like to think that anything “natural” should have some health benefits. So I did some digging to found out about chives. I wanted to know if chives had any health benefits. And this is what I found.

Since I am not a doctor and I don’t know the science behind this stuff I did some research and found the following information from Medical News today. You can check out their article for even more information. This is just scratching the surface of the health benefits of chives!

Some health facts about chives…

1. Chives are full of nutrients.
2. Chives are low in calories
3. Chives are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
4. Chives have vitamin k, folate, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and choline.

So the above list provides the more scientific properties of chives. But what does that mean to us? Well, the 2 most important benefits would be…

1. Cancer Prevention: Chives can help your body fight off cancer
2. Sleep: chives have something in them called choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps with sleep

Landscape

How pretty are those? As I mentioned my mom gave me a chives plant last year and it not only is great to have fresh herbs at my disposal but it is also pretty in my landscaping.

Are chives and annual or perennial?

Chives are perennial. This means that they will come back year after year. They are very hearty and super easy to keep alive. They grow in a grasslike clump and grow from small bulbs.

Are chives invasive?

Common chives are not invasive but will multiple.

Let me explain what I mean. The common chives will get bigger which is great because you can separate it and re-plant it. But it will not take over the area it is planted in. And it pulls out very easy so if it is getting bigger than you would like than you can just pull part of the plant out.

Do chives like sun or shade?

Chives are super hearty so they will grow just about anywhere you put them. But they will thrive in the sun. So if you have the option do your best to plant them in the sun. And if you are growing them indoors put them in a window that lets in lots of sun.

Do chives keep growing after you cut them?

Yes, chives continue to grow back after you cut them.

When you harvest your chives cut them down to 1-2 inches from the ground. You will be able to cut them about 4 times a year. (Depending on where you live)

How do you stop chives from spreading?

As I said chives will spread. So how do you stop them from spreading? Well, first let’s look at the 2 ways chives spread. Chives spread from…

1. The bulbs
2. The seeds

The first way chives spread is by the bulbs. So your plant will get bigger and bigger each year and this is from its bulbs multiplying. But what about those random patches that started growing?

Well, chives can also grow from the seeds. So if you let your chives bloom and then the blooms wilt the seeds can blow and start a whole new plant.

If you want to stop this from happening you will just make sure to cut down the chives before they can get to this stage. Which if you are wanting to eat the chives you will be doing this already anyway.

Do Chives have deep roots?

No, chives do not have deep roots. Their roots are only about 3 inches deep. Which makes it a breeze to pull out if your plant is getting too big.

Why are my chives yellow?

They are unhealthy. Most likely you tried to transplant them and it was not the ideal time to transplant and they are not liking their new home. The best time to transplant chives is in the fall or winter.

Do chives attract bugs?

No, chives do not attract bugs. Actually, they keep the bad bugs away. Most of the insects that will mess with your plants will not like the smell of chives and will stay away.

What can I plant next to chives?

You can pretty much plant anything next to chives. They are not a very “competitive” plant and do very well with other plants. The best option is to plant them with your other herbs.

What else?

Now we have talked about cooking with chives but what else should we know about chives? or how about we start with the simple question of…

What are chives?

Chives are an herb.

According to science chives are part of the allium family. The allium family also includes garlic, scallions, onions, and leeks. As you can see this family of veggies are known for their strong smell but also are famous for their medicinal purposes.

Chives are a perennial plant and are most commonly found in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Chives are a common herb and can be found in most grocery stores. You can also grow your own without much effort.

There are actually 2 different types of chives. There is the onion chive which is the one that most of us are familiar with. Or there is the Chinese chive which is also referred to as the garlic chive. They are pretty self-explanatory in their flavor and the only other difference would be their leaves. The onion chives have hollow leaves while the garlic chives have flat leaves.

Are chives and green onions the same thing?

No, chives and green onions are not the same things. In the US we sometimes use them interchangeably but they are in fact not the same thing.

These are green onions

Green onions have long green stalks and white bulbs. Green onions have a mild onion flavor and are used raw or cooked. They start growing in the spring and carry on through the summer. They are part of the Allium schoenoprasum species.

My favorite way to use green onions would be as a topping on Mexican food.

These are chives

Chives have green blades, hollow stalks, and practically invisible bulbs. They have an onion flavor but it is very weak. Chives are generally used as a garnish on things like eggs, potatoes, and salads. You can cook chives but they are commonly eaten raw. Just like green onions, they will start blooming in the spring and continue into the summer. Chives are in the Allium fistulosum species.

I have found that chives are best when used as a garnish on hard-boiled eggs.

Are chives still good after they flower?

Yes, chives are still good after they flower. We talked about this a little already but you can use the stems and the flower for eating. Most people use the stem and you can use the stem before the flower comes but you can also use the flower as well.

Try it for your self and see which you prefer.

Can you freeze chives?

Yes, You can freeze chives.

This is awesome because they are so nice to have all year long and my plant produces more then I can eat fresh. Freezing chives is very simple. Here is how you do it.

1. Chop chives
2. Wash chives
3. Place in freezer bags
4. Freeze

Frozen chives will last indefinitely in the freezer. But they will most likely start losing their flavor and quality at 4-6 months.

How to store chives?

There are multiple ways to store chives. I already mentioned the freezer but I wanted to mention some other ways you can store chives.

1. Freeze dry

This is so cool I had no clue you could do this! So all you do to freeze-dry chives is…

• Chop chives
• place on a cookie sheet
• Put the cookie sheet into the freezer
• Remove cookie sheet when chives are dry and brittle
• Store in an airtight jar in a cool dark place for up to 6 months.

2. Refridgerator

There are 2 ways to store chives in the fridge

1. Keep chives in a resealable plastic bag. They will last this way for about a week.
2. Place the stems standing up in a glass filled with a few inches of water and cover the tops of the stems with a plastic bag.

3. Dehydrating

So first of all Dehydrators are awesome. If you don’t have one and like to store food for yourself then you should seriously consider getting one. I have a whole article talking about what we do with ours and what one we have. You can check it out here.

Okay, now how to dehydrate chives.

• Put your chives on the dehydrator trays.
• Put the temperature to 95 Degrees
• Keep the chives in the dehydrator for 2 hours

How to use dried chives?

First of all, let’s talk about the amount. How much-dried chives equal fresh?

1 tablespoon fresh chives equal 1 teaspoon dried.

So you can use dried chives in anything you would use fresh for. For example, you can put dried chives in mashed potatoes, Eggs, Etc. You will obviously just want to use the suggested conversion amount I have provided above. But the fun thing about cooking is that it is up to your own taste buds. So play around with it and see what you like.

Now, what about taste? Do dried chives taste the same?

This is clearly going to be an opinion based answer. But Dried chives taste like straw. They don’t have much flavor and the texture is not the best. But don’t take my word for it try it for yourself. You might not mind it.

The nice thing about dried chives is that they last for up to 3 years. So if you have some that you need to store its worth a shot preserving them in this way. But I would suggest the other methods of storing for sure.

The other thing about drying your chives is that with this method they will lose some of their nutrients. So yes, drying your chives is not the ideal option but I wanted to let you know that it is still a way to preserve your chives.

How long do chives last?

If you are growing your own chives I would recommend that you let them grow for as long as possible without cutting them down. I’m sure it’s not that best way but I let mine stay out there and just cut them down as needed and have never found that it affected them to stay out longer.

But if you can’t let them stay outside or you are buying them fresh how long will chives stay fresh? Well, it depends on the method. Let’s look at the different methods real fast.

• Freezer= 4-6 months
• Freeze dried= 4-6 months
• Refriderater= 1 week
• Dehydrated= 2-3 years

As you can see dehydrated will definitely last the longest. And honestly, there are ways you could use your dried chives and still reap the benefits of the flavor but not deal with the nasty texture. One way would be to make a powder out of your dried chives for salads or as a topping for potatoes. And if you don’t like it no big deal. Chives are very cheap or free if you grow them yourself.

Conclusion

You did not know you could do so much with chives, did you? I sure did not! Chives were one of those things that I never thought much about until I had one simple question which led me to more questions and then I went all into learning about chives. I hope this was helpful to you and that you learned a few new ways to store chives and a few random things as well.

It is so awesome learning about the things that We can grow and the ways they can help our bodies and add flavor to our favorite foods. If you know of someone who has some extra chives see if they would mind if you took some to start growing your own. It is an easy way to add another thing to your garden/landscaping/homestead that will get you closer to becoming self-sufficient.

I most likely will not ever become 100% self-sufficient and I’m okay with that. But I strive to do as much on my own as I can and even though something likes growing chives might seem small, it’s all the little things that start to add up. And before you know it you will be growing all your own food.

Also, a side note when it comes to herbs I never seem to have them at the exact time I need them so when I grow them I am sure they will be there when I need them. Well Unless my animals or kids get to them first!

If you want some more gardening helps make sure to check out some of my other articles!

Gardening Harvest Times

How to Maximize Garden Space

Planting a garden with canning in mind (in 6 easy steps)