Whether used to garnish a salad or stirred through a soup to give it a subtle onion flavour, chives are an incredibly versatile herb that’s also super easy to grow. But what happens if you’ve suddenly got an abundance of chives growing in the garden?
Can You Freeze Chives?
Yes, you can freeze chives for up to 6 months. To freeze chives you have two options. You can either freeze them whole or, as the preferred method, you can freeze chives in an ice cube tray.
Do Do Chives freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Chives? No
How to Freeze Chives
When it comes to freezing chives, you have two choices. You can choose to either freeze them whole, which requires the least effort but is not the best approach.
Or, you can choose to freeze them in an ice cube tray, an approach we would strongly recommend.
How to Freeze Chives Whole
This is the least labour-intensive approach to freezing your chives. If you’re pushed for time, this is the approach.
- Clean and Trim
First, you must ensure your chives are completely clean, especially if you’re picking them from the garden. Make sure any dirt and bugs are removed. You can give them a quick rinse under cold water, but ensure they are completely dry. Trim the ends as they tend to be a bit shrivelled.
- Bag Up
Now place the chives into a resealable freezer bag. As you seal it up, squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible.
- Freeze
Place the bag in the freezer and retrieve your chives as and when you need them.
How to Freeze Chives in Ice Cubes
This is a better approach to take when it comes to freezing chives. It will allow you to grab the amount you need easily and will also freeze chives most effectively without degrading the flavour:
- Clean and Slice
As before, give your chives a good clean. You don’t want to freeze them with dirt after all. Once cleaned, slice them up as you normally would. You can even use scissors to snip the chives into little rings easily. - Fill Ice Cube Tray
Take an ice cube tray and fill each slot with chives, around two-thirds of the way up. Cover the chives with water or olive oil. You need to make sure the chives are full submerged in the liquid. - Wrap
Wrap the tray in a layer of cling film, then place it into the freezer. - Freeze
Once frozen solid, you can pop the cubes out and store them in a bag back in the freezer. This will free up your ice cube tray to freeze other things such as pesto.
You can even try making herb mixes with this method. Why not try adding in some parsley or rosemary? You can then stir it straight into stews and soups to give it a real kick of herby flavour.
Yes, you can freeze chives you have grown yourself. The only thing to bear in mind is that they are more likely to contain dirt and bugs, so you’ll want to ensure you give them a thorough clean before freezing them.
Chinese chives can be frozen in a freezer bag. You can either chop them up beforehand or freeze them whole. It comes down to how you normally use them.
How Long Can You Freeze Chives?
Chives will stay frozen in both forms for a good 6 months. The flavour will remain for this period. However, be warned, the texture will degrade continuously over time. Make sure you label your chives with what they are and when they need to be used.
Chives will keep for between 7 and 10 days in the fridge. It’s a good idea to keep them in a reseable bag so that your fridge doesn’t take on a subtle onion scent.
How Do You Defrost Chives?
The good news is that you don’t need to. As they’re both fairly soft and small, they’ll thaw almost instantly when put into contact with heat.
If you’re using an ice cube of chives, then you can stir the ice cube into your dish, and it’ll melt away in a matter of minutes.
Can You Refreeze Chives?
There are very few foods we recommend refreezing, and chives are no different. We would strongly advise against refreezing chives as you will dramatically degrade both the flavour and the texture.
The only exception is if you have frozen chives and then used them in a cooked dish. You can proceed to freeze this cooked dish with no issues.
Do Chives Freeze Well?
Sort of… If you’re planning on garnishing your potato salad with them, then think again. Unfortunately, chives will lose a lot of their texture when thawed out, making them pretty unappealing when used to garnish dishes.
Having said that, freezing does help chives retain their delicate onion flavour, which means they still work well when stirred into stews or soups.
That’s why it is key that you think about how you will use your chives before you consider freezing them.
Sources
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