It is believed usage of Chives date back to 5000 years ago in China, and the plant was imported to Europe by Marco Polo. Chives have been cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages. They were used by Romanian Gypsies to tell fortunes and to relieve pain from toothaches. It was thought consuming the herb would increase blood pressure and it would also act as a diuretic. The two types of chives cultinvated today are the common chive with tubular reeds used in American cusine and garlic chive with flatter reeds and a spicier flavor, used predominately in Oriental cooking.

Growing Chives

Chives are most easily propagated by division. To divide chives, dig up the clump and separate the bulbs into separate plants, of 5 bulbs per plant. Then replant to same depth as the parent was growing. Chives can also be grown from seed. Sow seeds in the spring and cover with a thin llayer of dry soil. Be sure to keep the soil moist until you see new growth appear Chives grow best in bunches, so thin the new plants to approximately 6 plants per bunch, leaving at least 1 foot of space between bunches. Chives do not need constant watering. Water only when the soil has dried out. Water in fertilizer once a month.

Using Chives

Today, chives are used in various foods, from salads to mashed potatoes to turkey, beef and pork dishes. Several recipes are presented in the following section.

Preserving Chives

Freezing is the most satisfactory method of preserving chives. Simply chop up your fresh chives and sprinkle them on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in your freezer and allow the chives to flash-freeze as single pieces. This shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. You want the pieces to be crisp, not ice-frosted. Place the flash-frozen chives in an air-tight plastic container, pop them into the freezer for future meals. It isn't usually necessary to thaw the chives when you're ready to use them. Simply remove the required amount from the container and add to the cooking mixture.Of course, if using in a salad you would want to thaw the pieces.