The chive (Allium schoenoprasum) is the smallest member of the allium family, which includes onions, scallions, leeks, garlic, and shallots. However, unlike its pungent cousins, the chive is prized entirely for its slender, hollow green stalks and delicate pale-purple flowers rather than its bulbs.
Offering a mild, fresh onion flavor, chives are incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Even better, they are famously easy to grow. Whether you plant them in a rocky garden border, a raised bed, or a simple terracotta pot on your sunny kitchen windowsill, chives will provide you with a steady, reliable harvest year after year. Here is everything you need to know to grow, store, and cook with fresh chives.
How to Grow Chives
Chives are incredibly hardy perennials. In warmer climates, they may remain evergreen year-round. In colder northern zones, they will die back to the ground after the first hard frost, only to eagerly sprout back up the moment spring arrives.
- Sunlight and Soil: Chives love the sun. Plant them in a location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. They require rich, well-draining soil. Before planting, mix 4 to 6 inches of organic compost into the soil to ensure robust growth.
- Watering: They require consistent moisture but hate “wet feet.” Water them when the top inch of soil feels dry. If grown in pots, ensure the container has excellent drainage holes to prevent root rot.
- Dividing Clumps: Chives are clump-forming plants. Over a few years, a single plant will expand into a massive, overcrowded cluster. To maintain vigorous growth, dig the clump up every 3 to 4 years in early spring, divide it into smaller sections, and replant them.
Never uproot the bulb as you would a green onion! To harvest chives, take a sharp pair of scissors and snip a handful of stalks from the outside of the clump, leaving about 2 inches of the stem above the soil line. Cutting them encourages rapid new growth. If you don’t harvest them regularly, they will flower and produce seeds.
How to Buy and Store Chives
If you don’t have a garden, you can easily buy fresh chives at the grocery store. Look for sprightly, firm stalks that are uniformly bright green. Avoid any bunches that show signs of wilting, yellowing, or slimy brown spots.
Storage: Do not wash them until right before you use them. Place the unwashed chives in a plastic bag or wrap them loosely in a damp paper towel and store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. They will easily last for up to a week. For long-term storage, chop the fresh chives and freeze them in an airtight bag. Freezing preserves their delicate onion flavor perfectly, which is why there is absolutely no excuse to buy flavorless, dried jarred chives!
How to Prepare Chives
Simply snip and sprinkle! Because chives have a delicate, heat-sensitive flavor, they should almost always be added at the very end of the cooking process or used as a raw garnish.
They are incredible sprinkled over baked potatoes, folded into morning omelets, or stirred into creamy sauces. You can blend them with soft butter to melt over grilled corn on the cob, or mix them with sour cream and tarragon for a luxurious salmon glaze.
Recipe 1: Crostini With Chive-Scented Ricotta
This simple, elegant spread works wonderfully atop toasted bread, but it can also be used to enrich scrambled eggs or serve as a fast pasta sauce. (Adapted from “Local Flavors” by Deborah Madison).
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 20 crostinis
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh Ricotta cheese
- 6 tablespoons very finely snipped fresh Chives
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil
- 20 slices Baguette, Ciabatta, or dense whole-wheat bread (toasted)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Fresh Chive blossoms (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, olive oil, and the finely snipped chives.
- Season the mixture generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well until smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the toasted bread slices.
- Garnish each crostini with a light dusting of extra pepper and a few purple chive blossoms if available. Serve immediately.
Recipe 2: Crisp Potato Cakes With Smoked Salmon and Chives
A hearty, luxurious brunch entree where the slightly garlicky flavor of chives shines through the crispy potatoes and rich smoked salmon.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 6 large Russet potatoes (baked and cooled)
- 2 bunches of fresh Chives (minced, divided)
- 4 oz Smoked Salmon (diced)
- 13 large Eggs (divided: 1 for potatoes, 12 for scrambling)
- 2 tbsp Sour cream
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter
- Olive oil (for sautéing)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions:
- Once the baked potatoes have cooled, remove and discard the skins. Using a box grater, roughly grate the potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the sour cream, and half of the minced chives to the potatoes. Mix gently.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg. Add the egg to the potato mixture, season with salt and pepper, and mix well to bind. Form the mixture into 8 large, flat potato cakes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the potato cakes 1 or 2 at a time until golden and crisp (about 3 minutes per side). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm.
- In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 12 eggs with the milk, salt, and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and cook slowly, stirring constantly until soft curds form (about 10 minutes).
- Remove the pan from the heat and gently fold in the diced smoked salmon and half of the remaining chives.
- Place a warm potato cake in the center of each plate, top with a generous scoop of the scrambled eggs, and garnish with the very last sprinkle of fresh chives. Serve immediately!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are chive blossoms edible?
Yes, absolutely! The pale purple, globe-like flowers that appear in late spring are completely edible. They possess a delicate, slightly pungent onion/garlic flavor and make a stunning, colorful garnish for fresh salads, soups, and crostini.
Can I grow chives indoors all year long?
Yes, chives are one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors. Simply plant them in a pot with excellent drainage and place them in a south-facing window where they can receive at least 6 hours of bright sunlight every day. Snip them regularly to encourage constant fresh growth.
Do chives spread and take over the garden?
Chives will naturally expand into larger clumps over the years, and if you allow the flowers to go to seed, they will self-seed freely around the garden. However, they are not considered highly invasive. Simply snip the flowers off before they dry out and drop seeds to keep them perfectly contained.
