Chives, chives, chives...any fans of chives out there? Being prone to grab, chop, and add them to just about everything, I am quite content with the two massive mounds that have expanded out near the back garden. Having originally relocated them closer to the vegetables I realize that this autumn the 'to do' list will include modifying their current position to one closer to the house, enabling us to trek merely feet outside the kitchen door for retrieval.
What to do in the winter when those green sprouts no longer stick out in their spiky fashion begging to be tossed with salads, swirled into soups, and sprinkled on to potatoes? Yes, yes, Epicure has fabulous dried chives and I do have a jar in my spice cupboard for wintry needs. But with our own summer horde I am wondering how easy it would be to keep some for the snowy season? Dried? Frozen? Bringing a clump inside to continue growing on the windowsill? (The kids would like this option as cutting chives is about the only freedom I allow with scissors, since too many items of clothing, not to mention the tent, have suffered the fate of "cutting curiousity". Oh, and the chopping of Larry's hair - see picture below of the homemade/camp project 'Chia Pet'.)
Advice on preserving bountiful chives? 3 to 7 hours in the oven at 110 farenheit or the intriguing solution of utilizing God's drying power by drying them outdoors: "Spread chives in a thin layer over trays. Dry in a well ventilated area out of sunlight 8 to 10 hours". http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod01/01600642.html It sounds as though freezing them may well keep a better flavour? (And I could even freeze my purple basil?)
"Problem": bountiful chives. Solution: Somehow keeping the suckers for wintertime useage...
Cutting with sharp knife/scissors apparently damages the original plant less.
Wash in the sink, and sort to get rid of those wonderfully woody or wilted brown bits.
The tray on the left is destined for outdoor location for drying, whereas the one on the right, chopped into small bits, is going to be our freezer experiment! A couple of suggestions involved freezing first on a tray to avoid "clumping" (I do this when freezing strawberries - first "flash freezing" them individually, to keep shape, before putting them all together into a larger bag - advice thanks to my clever, canning & freezing fiend friend Amy) The only thing left to do: shovel a smaller clump into a wondowsill-sized pot to keep indoors. And...when the snow flies, we'll taste test!
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