Do you have a rich harvest of chives from the garden or balcony? To preserve the aromatic herb for longer, you can dry it – but chives lose some of their flavor in the process. With the right method, you can still get the best out of it. Alternatively, you can freeze them to preserve their color and aroma almost completely.
Drying chives: step by step
Chives consists largely of water, which makes drying somewhat more challenging. The fine tubular leaves become slightly brittle and lose their intensity. This is how you can still dry it successfully:
- Preparation: Cut the fresh chives into small pieces. rolls and spread them evenly on a baking tray or the shelves of a dehydrator.
- In the oven or dehydrator: Set the temperature to maximum 40-50 degrees Celsius to preserve the essential oils and thus the aroma. Dry it until it is rustling dry.
- Air dry: Tie the chives into small bundles and hang them on a shady, well-ventilated place and leave them to dry for several days. However, the leaves may lose their green color and taste less intense.
After drying, you should put the chives in lightproof containers so that it will keep for up to nine months.
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Dried chives in the kitchen
Dried chives is less aromatic than fresh or frozen, but can still be a good addition to the kitchen. It goes well with stews, herb butter or quark – Dishes that don’t need a fresh touch.
You can also combine it with other dried herbs, for example in Herbal salts, Herbal mixtures or Oiling. In this way, dried chives can be used in a variety of ways and kept for longer.
What is the right method for you?
Whether you Freeze or dry chivesdepends on how you want to use them later:
- For intense aroma and fresh appearance freezing is the better choice.
- If you Save space in the freezer compartment or if you prefer to work with dried herbs, drying is a good alternative.
With the right method, you can optimally preserve your harvest and have an aromatic herb to hand all year round.
Checklist: Drying chives made easy
- Preparation: Cut into fine rolls and spread evenly.
- Drying methods: In the oven (40-50 degrees), dehydrator or by air drying.
- Storage: Store in lightproof jars or tins – will keep for up to nine months.
- Freeze: For a more intense flavor, cut into rolls in freezer bags or ice cube molds.
- Use: Perfect for butter, herbal salts, soups, sauces or herbal oils.
This article was partly created with the help of a machine and carefully checked by the editorial team before publication.
