Chives: How to Grow, Harvest and Use Chives
Updated: Dec. 15, 2020
If your only experience with chives is buying them at the store, it's time to learn about growing this herb at home.
If you’ve never grown chives before, you’re in for a treat! They are one of the easiest herbs to grow at home, last all season and can be used to garnish and flavor so many dishes.
What Are Chives?
Chives are a relative of onions and leeks, but they’re classified as an herb. (Here’s the difference between chives, scallions and green onions.) Chives have tall, dark green, slender leaves that are hollow inside. The blooms on chive plants are beautiful, pale purple globes made of tiny flower clusters. All parts of the chive plant are edible, though it’s primarily grown for the leaves. Chives have a delicate onion flavor in both the leaves and flowers.
The Difference Between Chives, Scallions and Garlic Chives
Scallions are a different species of allium than chives. They are taller and with larger, lighter green leaves. Some plants that are actually immature onions (green onions) may be referred to as scallions. In either case, these have a much stronger, more intense onion flavor than chives.
Garlic chives look more similar to true chives—dark green leaves and a grass-like appearance, but again are a different species. The leaves of garlic chives are flat and have a flavor that is more garlicky than oniony.
How to Grow Chives
Not only are chives a cinch to start growing, they’re a perennial herb—meaning they will grow in your garden for years! Chives are hardy to grow in zones 3 through 10. One way to grow chives is to divide an existing plant—ask a neighbor or family member if they’ll dig up a few for you. Or you can start chives from seed. The seeds are tiny, the size and color of poppy seeds. Plant them 1/4-inch deep in well-drained soil. You can plant them to grow in a clump or in a tidy row in your vegetable garden.
Chives are an excellent option for herb container gardening, and you can also plant them in your landscape gardens.
When to Harvest Chives
Chives are ready to harvest once they reach six inches in height. Choose stems that are firm with no browning, and snip them using sharp scissors. The plant will regrow leaves all season long, so harvest them often.
When the purple flowers appear in early summer, you have two options: snip them off right away so the plant’s energy will go into growing leaves, or let the flowers stay until they are dry and faded. At this point they are full of seeds (over 100 seeds per flower head).
Snip them off to prevent the seeds from scattering—you can save these seeds to plant next year.
How to Cook with Fresh Chives
The flavor of chives is delicate, so when using the herb in recipes, add them toward the end of cooking time to preserve the flavor. Use scissors to snip chives into fluffy omelets and creamy mashed potatoes. Chives make a beautiful garnish when scattered over steamed vegetables, fresh salads or summery pasta dishes like pasta primavera. Make an herb butter with chives as a savory accompaniment to corn on the cob or hot biscuits. And of course, chives are delicious blended into cream cheese to spread over homemade bagels.
How to Cook with Chive Flowers
Don’t forget about the chive flowers—they’re edible, too! Gently pull the clusters apart, then scatter the tiny flowers over salads and hors d’oeuvres. Or make chive blossom vinegar: Fill a bottle with just-opened chive blossoms, then fill the bottle with white vinegar. After two weeks, strain the vinegar, and use it for vinaigrettes and to finish cooked dishes.
Sour Cream Chive Bread
This savory loaf mildly flavored with chives is delicious when served warm with a meal, soup, salad or stew. It also tastes wonderful toasted the next day for breakfast. —Deborah Plank, West Salem, Ohio
Sausage Chive Pinwheels
These spirals are simple to make but look special on a buffet. Our guests eagerly help themselves, and sometimes the eye-catching pinwheels never even make it to their plates! —Gail Sykora, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Garlic-Chive Whipped Butter
Looking for a way to dress up ordinary bread or dinner rolls? Set out a bowl of this creamy garlic butter!—Susan Stetzel, Gainesville, New York
Cheesy Chive Omelet
Fuel up for the day with eggs for breakfast. When you want a change, try the other omelet ideas at the end of the recipe. —Naomi Giddis, Two Buttes, Colorado
Chive Buttered Carrots
It's nice to have a reliable side dish like this that pairs well with any entree. A friend shared the recipe with me several years ago, and I use it often. —Opan Snell, Jamestown, Ohio
Cream Cheese & Chive Omelet
The first bite of creamy filling lets you know this isn’t any old omelet. Make it once, and we suspect you’ll be fixing it often. —Anne Troise, Manalapan, New Jersey
Garlic-Chive Baked Fries
Yes, you do want fries with that—especially these crispy, golden fries, full of garlic flavor and just a little bit of heat. —Steve Westphal, Wind Lake, Wisconsin
Potato-Bean Salad with Herb Dressing
My veggie garden inspired this creamy combo of beans, potatoes and fresh herbs. I toss them with a ranch-style dressing sparked up with Creole mustard. —Chris Cummer, Bayonne, New Jersey
Chive Biscuit Ornaments
Ring in the holiday season with these tender bell-shaped bites. They used cookie cutters and whole chive "hangers" to form the warm and appetizing ornaments, which get a slight kick from red pepper flakes. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Broccoli & Chive Stuffed Mini Peppers
There's plenty of both crunch and cream in these party appetizers. Fresh chives help them really stand out. —Jean McKenzie, Vancouver, Washington
Sour Cream & Chives Mashed Potatoes
This recipe is a family favorite that always stirs up good memories and moments. It's requested for Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday parties, potlucks and other gatherings. It's simple to make and delicious to eat. If I make it early in the day I finish this dish for about 20 minutes in the oven, but you can use the stovetop to free up oven space for the turkey. —Linda Williams, Florence, Alabama
Chive-Cheese Cornbread
This cornbread goes well with any main dish. The chives and sharp cheddar cheese give it a special flavor. —Sybil Eades, Gainesville, Georgia
Chive Crab Cakes
These tasty crab cakes are perfect for appetizers, or try them with a salad for a light meal. —Cindy Worth, Lapwai, Idaho
Chive Pinwheel Rolls
These light, pleasant-tasting rolls complement almost any entree. With the chive filling swirled through the golden bread, they're attractive enough for special occasions. —Ann Niemela, Ely, Minnesota
Cream of Wild Rice Soup
Tender cubes of chicken, fresh vegetables and wild rice make this soup hearty enough for a meal. You can't beat the down-home comfort of a warm bowlful. I like to serve it with whole wheat rolls. —J. Beatrice Hintz, Neenah, Wisconsin
Deluxe Mashed Potatoes
When it comes to mashed potatoes recipes, this is one of my favorites because they can be made ahead, refrigerated and then popped into the oven just prior to dinnertime. When my grandchildren come for dinner, I have to double this recipe. They love it! —Vivian Bailey, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Creamy Herb Grilled Salmon
I have a huge herb garden and love using herbs in almost everything I cook. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we eat a lot of wild-caught salmon, so I use fresh herbs in this moist and delicious grilled recipe. On cooler days, bake it instead. —Michelle Glassmeyer Wunsch, Bothell, Washington
Chunky Blue Cheese Dip
Every time I make this quick blue cheese dip, someone asks for the recipe. It only requires a few items, so its a snap to put together. I often prepare the thick spread with Gorgonzola cheese and serve it with toasted pecans. —Sandy Schneider Naperville, Illinois
Herb & Cheese Scrambled Eggs
As a child I grew up on a farm where eggs and herbs were plentiful in summer. My mother made these eggs and I've made them for my own family. Just add toast!—Patricia Nieh, Portola Valley, California
Tomatoes with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
We make the most of tomatoes when they are in season and plentiful, and I love an old-fashioned homemade dressing with summery taste. —Judith Foreman, Alexandria, Virginia
Mini Sausage Quiches
These bite-sized quiches are loaded with sausage and cheese—and all nestled into easy crescent roll dough. Serve the cute muffinettes at any brunch or potluck gathering. —Jan Mead, Milford, Connecticut
Party Cheese Bread
You can't go wrong with this recipe. The cheesy, butter bread is so simple to make but the taste is sinful. Plus it looks fantastic, and people just flock to it! It's better than the usual garlic bread with pasta, too. —Karen Grant, Tulare, California
Crab-Stuffed Flounder with Herbed Aioli
If you like seafood, you’ll love this scrumptious flounder. The light and creamy aioli sauce tops it off with fresh tones of chives and garlic. —Beverly O'Ferrall, Linkwood, Maryland
Pork & Chive Pot Stickers
Here's my top make-ahead appetizer. My three kids are old enough to cook these themselves, right from the freezer. They're a lot more nutritious than the ones you get at a restaurant. —Marisa Raponi, Vaughan, Ontario
Savory French Toast
I was tired of sweet French toast, so I made a savory version with sausage, cheddar and chives for Christmas one year. Now my family asks for it regularly. —Carol Grant, Freehold, New JerseyPopular Videos
