Fast delivery
Get in as fast as 1 hour
It’s all local
Shop your favorites
Direct chat
Connect with shoppers
Chives Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to chive products
About chives
Chives are a staple ingredient in many households and can be added while cooking a dish or sprinkled on afterward as a garnish. Chives are a perennial herb available year-round. They typically grow in clusters, with long grass-like blades that are hollow. Their leaves grow straight upward and come to a point. In ideal conditions, they can grow up to 2 feet tall and spread to about a 12-inch radius. They are used to season many dishes for their mild onion or garlic flavor and bright color. Some varieties of chives sprout pink, purple, yellow, or white flowers, which are also edible and can be a charming addition to salads.
Chives, which can be added to a variety of dishes, have properties similar to garlic. Their texture and flavor start to fade when heated, so it's best to add them in to your recipe toward the end of cooking to help them keep both the flavor and the crunchy texture.
There are a few different types of chives. These are:
- Common Chives: Common chives are the easiest to find in the grocery store. They are green and plump and are best used fresh.
- Garlic Chives: This variety is also known as Chinese chives and usually grows taller, with flatter leaves. They have a slight garlicky flavor and work well in salad dressings and dips.
- Siberian Chives: Siberian chives have blue-green foliage and are often referred to as blue chives. They have a similar flavor profile as common chives but lend an interesting burst of color to dishes and work well for plating food in attractive ways.
How to pick out chives
When selecting chives, you want to examine the entire plant. Pick chives that are fresh and have evenly green leaves. Avoid selecting any that feel dry or mushy to the touch. The leaves should stand straight and be firm and hollow.
How to preserve chives
Don't wash your chives until you're ready to use them. When storing chives, ensure that they're dry and remove any rubber bands or twist ties. If you spot any wilting leaves, clip them as well. Then wrap your chives in a damp paper towel and store them loosely in a plastic bag. Place the chives in a cold area of your refrigerator that maintains a consistent temperature. The vegetable crisper is a good option.
You can also clip chives with a sharp knife or kitchen shears and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag in your freezer. Be certain they're dry before placing them in the freezer. You can then take out what you need in small batches and add them directly to your recipes. There's no need to defrost before adding the chives to your dishes.
Whether you need chives for a dip, want to use them in some Indian cuisine, or plan to garnish your steak with them, it's easy to get exactly what you need when you order via the Instacart app. Fill the cart with your ingredients, and an Instacart shopper will get your order together. You can have your chives delivered in as little as 2 hours! Order via Instacart for your grocery needs to make your day a little easier and help you save time when planning new recipes for your chives.
Chives Near Me
Buy your favorite Chives online with Instacart. Order Chives from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about chives
Chives may be small but can pack a nutritional punch. They're high in essential vitamins and minerals, such as potassium and vitamins A and C. Chives also serve as a significant source of calcium, iron, phosphorous, and sulfur. They're also beneficial to the digestive system, and their phytonutrients keep the circulatory system healthy and improve blood circulation. Their mild taste can help parents prepare their little ones for the introduction of onions. Because they contain both choline and folate, chives can also assist in the brain's memory improvement and help the body produce DNA and RNA.
Chives can be used raw as a garnish or cooked as an aromatic herb. You should add them at the end of the cooking process to maintain flavor, aroma, and consistency. They pair well with other aromatics such as Italian and flat-leaf parsley, chervil, and tarragon. We know this group of herbs as "fines herbes" in French cuisine. Many chefs use it to add into stocks and soups for a flavorful impact.
You can add chives atop baked potatoes or hash growns, or you can mix them in mashed potatoes or a breakfast quiche. Some people enjoy including chives in scrambled eggs, mixed with butter on steak, or applied in a rub for chicken. When finely chopped and included in a mixed green salad, they enhance the flavor profile with an added note of tanginess that works well with a creamy dressing.