A Quick Guide on How to Freeze Fresh Chives Quickly and Easily?

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How To Freeze Chives: Chives is an incredible herb that all of us love for its subtle onion flavor. If you have bought way too much of them and wondering what can you do with them.

Here is an article explaining everything on Freezing Chives to increase shelf life, procedure on how to freeze chives and defrosting process of them clearly. Continue reading to know about the tips to consider while freezing chives in the later modules.

How To Freeze Chives

Can You Freeze Chives?

Yes, you can freeze Chives. The only problem with freezing chives is they will lose their crispiness and flavor when frozen. However, when there is no alternative and if you have too many of them, you can freeze chives and extend their shelf life. As long as you are not preparing a dish that needs crispiness freezing chives will not be a problem. Freezing chives is pretty much simple and quick. It’s just that it will turn soft and mushy after defrosting them.

How To Freeze Chives?

To freeze chives you can do it in different methods. You can freeze them on a whole or freeze them in ice cubes. We suggest you freeze in ice cubes as it is the best method to do so. However, freezing them on a whole needs little effort. Choose the method as per your comfort and freeze chives effectively following the process over here.

Freeze Chives On a Whole

Freezing Chives on a whole needs little effort. If you are running out of time go by this method.

  • Clean and Trim: The first and foremost step you need to take care of is to clean them and make sure there are no dust and debris. Do a quick rinse and dry them completely. Cut down the ends as they shrivel.
  • Bag Up: Keep the chives in a resealable freezer bag and seal them tightly. Make sure to remove the excess air from the bag.
  • Freeze: Keep the chives in the freezer and use them as and when needed.

Freeze Chives In Ice Cubes

Freezing Chives in Ice Cubes is the best method to go for as you can preserve and use them in portions you need. In this method, you can freeze chives effectively without losing the flavors.

  • Clean and Slice: Firstly clean the chives and remove dust and debris. After cleaning slice them up. You can even make use of scissors to cut them into round pieces.
  • Fill Ice Cube Tray: Pick an ice cube tray and fill them up with sliced chives. then, cover them up with water or olive oil till the chives are submerged in them.
  • Wrap: Wrap the chives using a cling film and keep them in the freezer.
  • Freeze: After the chives cubes are frozen take them out and keep them in a freezer bag.

If you want to know more about various spices do have a look at our article Do Spices Go Bad and resolve your doubts about spices’ spoilage signs, shelf life, etc.

Tips For Freezing Chives

As you know the process of freezing we shall discuss some of the top tricks to freezing chives well. They are along the lines

  • Freezing Chives in ice cube trays is the best method. Keep the chopped chives in the ice cube tray and add a little amount of water or oil to it.
  • You can mix the chives with other herbs and spices.
  • You can add the frozen chives cubes to your cooking so as to obtain a subtle onion flavor.

How Long Can You Freeze Chives?

You can freeze Chives for about 6 months. The flavor and texture will remain good during this time. However, over time chives will lose their quality. Thus, we advise you to add a label to the package before dropping it in the freezer so that you will have an idea of when to use it.

How To Defrost Chives?

There is not much need to thaw chives separately. As they are relatively small you can instantly thaw them by simply keeping them near the heat. You can simply consider the amount you want and add it to your cooking.  In case you are using the chives in ice cube form you can simply stir them and keep them in a dish. It will hardly take a few minutes for chives to defrost.

Can You Refreeze Chives?

No, you shouldn’t refreeze chives as it will impact their taste and flavor. You can use the frozen chives in the cooked dishes. You can freeze chives with a cooked dish without any doubt.

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Things You Should Know Before Freezing

Here are some of the key points you should know before freezing. They are listed as follows

  • Firstly, before freezing chives wash them and chop them so that they are easy to use.
  • Keep the freeze-dry chives in the freezer bag, baking sheet, or in ice cubes.
  • You can store the chives in the freezer for about 6 months. However, they taste better in the initial days comparatively.

Ways To Use Frozen Chives

You can include the frozen chives in any of the recipes you want unless and until you don’t worry about the texture. You can use it to prepare chive butter. If you are unable to figure out whether to use the mushy chives or not simply do a sample test and then proceed.

FAQs on Freezing Fresh Chives

1. Should you wash chives before freezing?

Yes, you should gently wash and dry the chives before freezing them.

2. How Long will fresh chives last in the freezer?

Fresh Chives will last for about 6 months when kept in the freezer.

3. Is it better to freeze chives or dry them?

Yes, it is better to freeze chives if you have too many of them as doing so can extend their shelf life.

4. What’s the best way to preserve chives?

Freezing can be a great option to consider in order to preserve chives long term.

Wrapping Up

By now you have become familiar with the freezing process of chives and how to defrost them in detail. If you still have queries related to freezing and tips to keep in mind while freezing do drop us your comments. Stay tuned to our site to get the latest updates on freezing spices like Can Cinnamon Go Bad, etc.

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