05/21/2018
Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum)
With its bright green stalks and vibrant lavender-pink and spiky blossoms, chives are a lovely ornamental plant and herb garden staple. Found fresh in the yard in summer and dried in cupboards in the cooler monthes of fall and winter, chives hold surprising medicinal and nutritiional benfits. A memeber of the Amarylldaceae family (Amaryllis), which includes familiar alliums garlic and onions, chives have a mild and pleasant onion-garlic flavor.
Chives have played a role in medicine and protection for more than 5,000 years. The ancient Romans used chives to relieve sore throats, lower blood pressure and increase urination, while traditional Chinese Medicine turned to it for coughs, colds and congestion. In the Middle Ages, it was a popular remedy for melancholy.
A traditional Roamni custom was to use chives in fortune telling and to hang them in the home to ward off disease and evil influences. Planting chives in the dooryard garden purportedly brought good lich and prevented evil spirits from entering the house.
For the body: Lilke onion and garlic, chives contain the actibe property allicin, giving it similar antimicrobial, antiviral, ntifungal and cholesterol-lowering properties yet on a glighty milder scale. Nutritent dense, chives contain an impressive amount of Vitamin A, a potent antioxidant that helps prevent degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease; calcium, magnesium, and bitamin K, which support muscle and bone health; and choline which aids sleep, learning, and memory. It also provides iron, folate, and high amounts of vitamin C. And we can't forget its array of sulfur compounds, which are responsible for its pungent scent, contribute to its heary-healthy benefits.
The whole ariel part of the plant benfits the digestive system, stimulating appetite and easing the symptoms of indigestion. Its high levels of vitamin C, along with its antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action helps combat viral infections and ease the pain of sore throats as well as skin irritations.
Grow it: Chives are perennials that are easy to grow and care for, and will thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10. A natural insect repellent thatns to its sulfur content, chive wards off aphids, and a host of other garden pests, which is especially useful when planted near vulnerable species. Sow seed indoors for four to six weeks before the last expected hard frost. When the seedling are about two inches tall transfer them outdoors. Plant six to eight inches apart in rich moist soil Chives love full sun but will tolerate slight shade. Expet it to grow to about 12 inches high, with blossoms blooming from May through June. Chives will spread as they grow and get larger each year. to controll growth, divide the plant in spring or plant it in containers,
Chives are best used fresh. Chives grow to 12 inches, you can harves them when the plant eaches six inces. Clip leaves from the outside of the plant to the inside, one to tow inches above the soil. Chives grow quickly and will soon be ready to harvest agian. Harvest blossoms at their peak when their at their peak when they are violet-pink.
Keep it Fresh: Chives are best when used fresh, but storing them is easy. Stand them up in a jar with a small amount of water or keep them in the fridge or greezer in sealable plastic bag. As with basil, you can also chop chives and place them in an icecube try, and voer with olive oil to freeze.
Eat it: Chives blend well with most foods: egg dishes, potatoes, soft cheeses, soups, and salads, Combine them with butter for a savory spread, or use the edible blossoms for flavorful and beautiful herb vinegar. Heat can destroy chives' flavor and nutritional benefits, so add them right at the end of cook time.
