When spring makes an appearance, I become giddy. Not only does this signal an end to snow and freezing temperatures, but it harkens the awakening of the garden. Fruit trees display their blossoms, shrubs begin to leaf out, and perennial herbs begin to rise up from the soil, full of promise. But one plant in particular has my attention… chives!
This noble herb is not only visually stunning with its lavender flowers that attract honey bees, but those tubular leaves are aromatic, releasing their fragrance when gently pressed. That aroma immediately conjures up images of baked potatoes split wide open with a generous pat of butter and a sprinkling of chives. And let’s not forget chive and onion dip with those bright flecks of green nestled amongst the mayonnaise and sour cream… destined for a potato chip.
This wonderful plant has the ability to produce from spring through early fall if treated correctly.
How to Harvest Chives
- For starters, have more than one chive plant. This allows one plant to grow while you harvest from the other.
- Gather all leaves and hold them at the top. Using a sharp pair of scissors (not only does this making harvesting easier, but it also prevents jagged cuts or tearing of the leaves), cut the leaves about 1″ above the soil surface.
- As a rule of thumb, allow the chives to get 10 – 14″ high, then harvest.
- When the chive begins to regrow its leave, you can then harvest from the other chive plant and then continue to alternate between plants for the rest of the growing season.

As a side note, I try to leave the flowering stalks behind. These flowering stalks are identifiable with a flower bud at the tip. These stalks tend to be more fibrous and not as tender as the chive leaves. The taller the flowering stalks, the more fibrous they are.
If you prefer, you can simply cut what you need for your immediate use. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week if placed in a plastic bag. Or you can place them in water, cut side down, and store in the refrigerator for approximately a week as well. Whichever way you harvest, be sure to rinse the leaves well in cold water. This will remove any dirt that is attached (typically watering the plant will cause soil to splash up on the leaves). Use this time to remove any bits of debris, such as small twigs or perhaps brown chives leaves.
For longer term storage, you can dehydrate them, cut them into small bits, and then place in a storage jar with a secure fitting lid. NOTE: it is much easier to handle the chives whole while dehydrating. Save the cutting after the chives are dried.

Another easy way to store them (and my favorite) is to cut the fresh leaves into small bits, mix with some good olive oil, place in small trays, and then freeze. After freezing, remove from the trays and place in a zip lock bag and store in the freezer. Containers that work well for freezing the chives and oil include ice-cube trays or ‘brownie bite’ trays. These individual cubes of chives and oil are wonderful additions to soups, stews, polenta, pasta, meat dishes, and sauces. Add more cubes if you desire a more pronounced chive flavor.
Whichever method you choose, chives will be at your fingertips, ready to enhance your meals. If you are preparing a dish that is served hot, simply dropped the frozen cube(s) directly into the pot. Stir to combine. These small cubes thaw quickly and should be tossed in towards the end of meal preparation.

Chives are a wonderful part of an herb garden. This perennial comes back year after year. Honey bees adore them. And with proper harvesting, you too, can be enjoying this tasty herb all season long as well as for months to come.
Love this post… i was just looking at my ” ready to harvest chives” this morning and wondering how I could save them for future use.! Thanks so much…Deb
I love preserving chives for the winter months. It adds such a nice pop of flavor to all of the soups, stews, and pasta dishes… and even in polenta. 🙂 Enjoy!
Love the ice cube and olive oil storage method. I’ll have to get started soon with my chives!
I am such a fan of freezing fresh herbs with olive oil in small cubes. So easy to use when making meals and provides a fresher flavor than using dried herbs.
Thank you, we were just discussing the best way to save them.
You are welcome. My favorite way is indeed to chop the chives mix with olive oil and then freeze in small cubes. It is so handy.
I have some chives that need to be harvested and this was great info. Off to harvest my chives.
Bev
Glad to help. Happy chive harvesting!
Freezing them in olive oil is a great idea! Thanks for sharing at the homeacre homesteading blog hop! Feel free to stop by (www.PintSizeFarm.com) and submit again this week 🙂
While I still dehydrate some of our chives, I really like freezing them in olive oil. During the winter months it is nice to have that bright pop of color and flavor in soups and stews.
My chives are up and doing great… I am having to move some volunteers also…. looking forward to using them. 🙂 Thank you for the information.
I hope that you are able to get multiple harvests from your chives. Imagine all of the great dishes that you can use them in. Happy harvesting!
I planted chives in my garden for the first time this year. They are not ready to cut yet, but your post got me excited to start using them when they are ready!
I would love it you shared it on the new Our Simple Homestead Blog Hop!
http://oursimplelife-sc.com/our-simple-homestead-blog-hop-2/
Oh, you are going to love having chives in your garden! I just went out earlier today to harvest chives for a dip as well as to add to a newly made egg salad. Thank you for thinking of this post for your hop. I look forward to stopping by.
Thanks for adding it to this week’s Our Simple Homestead Hop!
http://oursimplelife-sc.com/our-simple-homestead-blog-hop-2/
You are welcome. Nice hop. I had fun reading various blog posts.
I have heard you need to cut the chives in the morning, because if you cut them during the day after being in the sun they will not taste good. Is this true? Thanks Dana
It is best to harvest anything early in the morning. Items have the best flavor and have not yet wilted from the heat of the day.