How to Dry Chives
Chives are one of the most well known culinary herbs and the connoisseur recognizes that even though some dishes will not benefit from an onion, they truly gain in flavor and aroma from the slightly different flavor and texture of this plant. Perhaps the most common applications in the kitchen are potato dishes, fish and also stews where onions threaten to overpower the other flavors. Although fresh chives are indeed the best way to use them, there are times when using the dried herb is more advantageous. If you are growing your own herbs on the window sill, or in the garden, learning how to dry chives provides you with the opportunity of enjoying the taste year round! Follow these easy steps and you will have tasty, dried chives in no time. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Chives
- Very sharp knife
- Absorbent paper towel
- Oven
- Oven racks
- Cookie sheet
- Timer
- Airtight container
Instructions
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How to Dry Chives
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1
Harvest the chives with a very sharp knife. The goal is not to cause excess ripping of the individual plants and since chives grow in clusters this frequently happens when scissors or even a dulled knife is being used. Rips, tears, and other injury to the plants provide areas of moisture loss, making the drying process uneven.
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2
Wash the chives under running water to remove any soil, insects and other debris.
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3
Place the clean chives on a piece of absorbent paper towel; pat dry with another piece of paper towel. Repeat this step until no more moisture shows up on either the bottom or the top piece of paper towel.
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4
Rearrange your oven racks so that one rack sits in the middle and the other one sits right underneath it. Place the cookie sheet on the lower oven rack.
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5
Preheat the oven to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
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6
Put the chives on the upper oven rack so that they span several slots.
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Set the timer for one hour. When it chimes, return to the oven, remove a stalk and feel it between your fingers. The goal is to have chives which are brittle when touched. Usually, this takes about three to seven hours—depending on how thick your chives are, what the actual moisture content is, and also how well calibrated your oven is.
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Finish up. When you are getting close to the desired result, turn off the oven and let the chives cool down inside. Once completely cooled, transfer them from the oven to the airtight container.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Experiment with chives when recipes call for the use of green onions. This substitution may alter the taste of a dish appreciably and those afraid of onions because of heartburn find that they can stomach this herb a lot more readily.
If you own a food dehydrator, chop the chives into two inch bits and then dry them inside for an hour, depending on brittleness.
No matter how careful you are, dried chives will lose quite a bit of their original flavor. Keep this in mind when using them in recipes calling for fresh herbs.
Resources
- Read this Article in Spanish
- Learn all about growing, harvesting and using chives at the GardenGuides.com website.
- Visit Sallys-Place.com for an in depth look at using chives in dishes and for garnishes.
- The MotherEarthNews.com website provides information for those considering the purchase of a food dehydrator.
- Photo Credit Morguefile.com/Malinda Welte
