Drying Chives – Sustainable Cooks


Drying Chives is a straightforward solution to protect this scrumptious pantry staple! Learn to dry chives in a meals dehydrator or within the oven.

a copper bowl of dried chopped chives on a white board with a purple chive blossom.

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Chives are so easy to develop in a house backyard and so they come again 12 months after 12 months. You may trim again chives and dry them, and in just a few quick months much more will develop again.

From Pub Cheese to Greek Yogurt Egg Salad to Air Fryer Residence Fries to Hen Salad With Dill, chives pack a lot taste into plenty of implausible dishes.

Drying your individual chives is each simple and reasonably priced, and I’ll present you the way.

How Do You Dry Contemporary Chives?

There are 4 strategies you need to use to dehydrate recent chives – the dehydrator, the oven, hanging to dry, and the microwave.

I’ll stroll you thru every of the choices within the printable recipe card on the backside of the put up.

Is it Higher to Freeze or Dry Chives?

All of it will depend on what tools, how a lot pantry vs freezer house you will have, and the way you propose to make use of them. Freezing chives is quicker than dehydrating them, nevertheless it does take up more room.

Very similar to with freezing onions, frozen chives will get mushy when thawed. Whereas they’re not nice for garnishes or appearances, they’d be great combined right into a casserole or a baked dish.

On the flip aspect, you solely want a rimmed baking sheet and a few parchment or waxed paper to freeze chives. In case you favor to freeze your recent chives, chop them earlier than freezing.

Freeze for 2-3 hours on a parchment-lined baking sheet and switch to freezer storage for 6-9 months.

How Lengthy Does it Take to Dehydrate Chives?

Drying circumstances and strategies will decide the entire drying time, however on common, it takes 10-15 hours within the dehydrator.

I’ve owned this dehydrator for no less than a dozen years, and it has held up superbly. I’ve added further trays through the years and it’s a workhorse in summer season and fall.

I can dehydrate garlicdry rosemary, dry peachesdehydrate basildry oreganodehydrate mintdehydrate marshmallowsdry limesdehydrate tomatoes, drying thymedry pearsdehydrate onions, and dehydrate apples in a flash.

2 photos of fresh and dry chives on dehydrator trays.

HOW TO STORE DRIED Chives

So long as they’re saved in a cool and dry place, dehydrated chives shall be good for no less than a 12 months.

Be certain the dried chives are totally cooled earlier than placing them into an air-tight container. As they cool they may launch warmth that would end in condensation and finally trigger it to mildew.

FRESH Chives TO DRIED Chives COOKING CONVERSION

Dried herbs are 2-3 occasions extra highly effective than recent. I all the time begin with a 1:3 ratio when I’m utilizing dried herbs.

If a recipe requires 3 teaspoons of recent chives, begin with 1 teaspoon of dried chives after which modify to style.

Professional Ideas/Recipe Notes

  • The portion of the chive which you can minimize to eat might be known as a stalk or a scape.
  • I favor to go away the chives entire on the dehydrator tray, however if in case you have trays with a mesh display screen, chopping them earlier than drying additionally works effectively.
  • Utilizing kitchen shears is an efficient solution to chop lots of chives directly.
  • Keep away from the temptation to extend the warmth on the dehydrator or oven to hurry up the method. Low and gradual wins within the race on this one.
  • The chives are prepared when the stalks break or snap as an alternative of bend. They may really feel like dried grass when prepared.
  • Retailer totally cooled chives in an air-tight container like a mason jar for as much as a 12 months.
  • In case you develop chives in your backyard, depart the stalks with the purple blossoms intact if potential. Bees and different pollinators love chive blossoms!

MORE DELICIOUS PRESERVING RECIPES

a knife and cutting board with chopped chives.

Drying Chives

Prep Time10 minutes

Drying Time10 hrs

Whole Time10 hrs 10 minutes

Drying chives is a straightforward solution to protect this scrumptious pantry staple! Learn to dry chives in a meals dehydrator or within the oven.

How one can Dehydrate Chives in a Dehydrator

  • Rinse the chive stalks/scapes in a bowl of water.

    1 bunch recent chives

  • Fastidiously dry stalks in a salad spinner or between layers of a tea towel/flour sack.

  • Prepare the stalks on the drying racks in order that they aren’t touching.

  • Dry chives at 95F, rotating the trays each 2-3 hours.

  • Chives are prepared when stalks are dry to the contact and has the consistency of dried grass (~10-20 hours).

  • As soon as cooled, chop into small items with a knife or kitchen shears.

  • Permit chive items to totally cool earlier than storing in an air-tight container.

How one can Dry Chives within the Oven

  • Chop clear dried chives into small items with a knife or kitchen shears.

  • Place chives on baking sheets lined with parchment.

  • Place within the oven on the lowest temperature potential (normally 140-170 levels F) and prop open the door with the deal with of a picket spoon.

  • Test at half-hour, agitating the chives to maneuver them round.

  • Proceed to cook dinner till totally dry, checking each 15-20 minutes.

How one can Air Dry Chives

  • Droop small quantities of chive stalks in a paper bag with holes punched in it and shut the highest of the bag with string, yarn, or a rubber band.

  • Grasp in a spot the place it may possibly get air circulation.

  • Peek within the bag every day. Drying time will differ relying on circumstances.

Drying Chives within the Microwave

  • Chop clear dried chives into small items with a knife or kitchen shears.

  • Place chive items between two paper towels and microwave on excessive for 40 seconds.

  • Transfer the items round and microwave in 20-second increments till the chives are dried and crunchy (~1.5-2.5 minutes).

  • This methodology solely works effectively in small portions. Don’t attempt to dry an excessive amount of directly.

  1. Dried chives will final for a 12 months in a cool dry place.

 

Diet Info

Drying Chives

Quantity Per Serving (0.5 g)

Energy 1.4

* % Day by day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss plan.

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