Chives and Garlic Chives are different herbs
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Chives are used as a culinary herb, to impart a delicious, subtle, onion-like flavor to foods
Allium schoenoprasum
Plant type: Hardy Perennial - Growing Zones: 3-9
Chives: Small, onion-like herb that grows in clumps
Chives demand little care other than dividing the roots every third year, or when they become overcrowded. The round, hollow, grass-like leaves reach about 10 inches in height with decorative, light purple flowers that also make attractive border plants. They easily propagate by root division or from seed.
Drying chives is not a practical method of preservation
Chives don't hold their flavor when dried, as do other culinary herbs. Freezing seems to be the favored method of preservation. To harvest, cut the fresh leaves for use throughout the season at ground-level. Clip the hollow spears into the desired length and freeze in a single layer, or put a tablespoon-full into each compartment of an ice cube tray, fill with water, freeze, then move the cubes to freezer bags for permanent storage.
Chives are commonly used in a wide variety of dishes, from soups to salads, soft cheese spreads to grilled meats. They are especially good with potatoes, onions, carrots and other vegetables, as well as poultry, fish and in cream sauces. The flowers can also be used in salads or as a garnish.
Chives use as a culinary herb, goes back as far as the early Chinese and ancient Greek kitchens
When colonists came to America, they brought the herb along with other kitchen and medicinal herbs. They were thought to have some magical power to drive away evil influences and diseases, so people hung bunches of them in their homes. As a herbal medicine, today, it is commonly accepted that the allium schoenoprasum does not carry the same value as close relatives, the garlic and onion.
Garlic Chives will not only thrive as an attractive border plant in your herb garden, it is also an interesting culinary treat
Allium tuberosum
Plant Type: Very Hardy Perennial - Growing Zones: 3-9
Garlic Chives, like their cousin Allium schoenoprasum are easily propagated by division or from seed. I also have found that if not managed they will spread underground to other parts of your garden! They prefer fertile soil but demand little care other than dividing every few years when they become overcrowded. They also make attractive border plants for your herb garden.
Growing garlic chives as a culinary herb generally ends in a disappointment in the flavor
Garlic Chives are supposed to produce a very mild garlic-like taste. Growing chives or growing garlic chives together is generally a waste of energy. What I have been told by other herb growers, and found from my own experience, is that the flavor of garlic chives is so subtle a garlic flavor, it is hardly noticeable. Garlic chives can still be very acceptable when used in the place of regular chives.
To harvest garlic chives from your herb garden, cut fresh leaves at ground level as they grow.
The garlic chive plants grow in clumps reaching about 12 inches in height, but at flowering are much taller. It's a hardy perennial with decorative, light purple flowers that are said to be edible, though I've never met anyone who ate one. The flowers could be used in salads or as a garnish.
Use fresh; do not dry for storage. To store for later use, Garlic Chives can be successfully frozen. As a culinary herb they produce a flat spear that, when chopped, is visibly more noticeable than chives and is especially good with potatoes, onions, carrots and other vegetables. Garlic chives is also tasty in stir-fry, egg dishes, salads or can be interchanged in any dish with regular chives.
Thomas Kueny, Publisher - http://www.growing-herbs.com