How To Dehydrate Chives
Dehydrate Chives
Today I am posting “How to Dehydrate Chives”. It is easy to do but first, a few friendly facts about chives.
Chives are related to garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and Chinese onions. Mostly, found in Europe, Asia, and North America. It is a perennial that thrives best planted in full sunlight, and in a well-drained soil. The planting season for chives is spring and summer. Chives leaves can be re-grown if left planted in the soil. If you buy some from the market make sure the bottoms have small roots. Once you chop the leaves off you can plant the roots for continuous harvesting throughout the year. They are readily available at the market year round.
When it flowers the blooms are a pale purple star shape with six petals. These flowers are edible. Some people make ornamental bouquets out of the beautiful violet flowers.
Chives repel most insects by being a natural insect repellent. Bees are the exception. Bees love to pollinate chives. Chives produce a lot of nectar for the bees to pollinate.
Chives are found in a French herb mix called “Fine Herbs”.
Dehydrating Chives
These are freshly washed chives. Thoroughly, wash the chives bundle.
I’ve loaded the chives on to a mesh screen tray. They are ready to start drying.
Chives are dehydrated at 130 degrees for 5-6 hours.
My dehydrator is a NESCO FD-60 Snack Master Express Food Dehydrator.
Allow the dried onion chives to cool on the mesh screen tray. Once cool check the chives to see if they are dry. Chives are dry when crisp or brittle.
Chop or mince dried chives. Once stored, they are ready to use in recipes.
This is what dried chives look like before chopping them.
When chives are dry, chop them into small pieces. Then fill the spice jar. If storing for the long-term fill a half pint or pint size Mason jar and vacuum seal it.
I use a Seal a Meal vacuum sealer with the Food Saver vacuum lid regular and wide mouth accessory.
If you would like a print
- 1 lbs Chives
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Remove any bad spots, leaves and stems from the bunch.
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Thoroughly, wash the bundle of chives.
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Load the chives on the trays using the mesh screens. Mesh screen keeps the small pieces from falling through.
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Dehydrate at 130 degrees for 5-6 hours
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When dried, allow chives to cool.
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Cut the chives into small pieces and fill your spice jar.
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If storing for the long-term, fill a mason jar and use the vacuum sealer to seal the jar lid.
