When most people think of chives, they think of the part that is most often used: long, slender green leaves with a mild oniony taste. But once a year, chive plants give us a second edible harvest when they bloom.
Grolau chive blossom
Many of the common culinary herbs have edible blossoms, but the chive blossoms are not only edible, they make a great herb vinegar.
Making the vinegar is easy. Just lightly pack the blossoms in a sterilized jar. Cover with a good white wine vinegar, and let sit in the sun for 1-2 weeks.
The vinegar will quickly take on a rosy pink color. The longer it steeps, the deeper the color and stronger the flavor.
When finished, strain out the blossoms and decant into another container. If the chive blossom taste is too strong you can dilute it with more vinegar. I like to use this vinegar for potato salad, or drizzled over warm potatoes. Of course it is nice with other salads as well – anywhere you would like a little chive flavor along with the vinegar. Store finished vinegar in the refrigerator. Here’s a fact sheet on herbal vinegars from the folks at the Colorado State Extension service, including information on safety concerns and precautions.
I’ll add a few more blossoms to the jar as more open up and are available. Making this vinegar is the best way I know to preserve the beauty and utility of the chive blossoms. If you have chives blooming, you may want to give it a try too!
This looks and sounds just wonderful! We don’t have any chives planted just yet, but we will, as soon as we get the herb box built. What a pretty looking vinegar. I assume a Champagne vinegar would work well too? Can’t wait to try it on some potato salad this summer!
Champagne vinegar is fine. I used some for this batch when my “plain” white wine vinegar ran out. I just like to use a good quality vinegar without too pronounced a taste of its own.
Yay! Thank you, villager, for posting this recipe. My chives are blooming their hearts out just now (well, the ones not started from seed just this winter, that is), and I’m so excited to try this. I hope it tastes as beautiful as it looks!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
It’s nice to see another chive grower make chive vinegar this way. It’s a ritual at my house. Makes the absolute best vinegar for potato salads and salad dressings.
I learned about chive vinegar from my 1980 copy of Park’s Success With Herbs. I’ve made it ever since, any time I had chive blossoms. I make other herbal vinegars too. Purple basil vinegar is another favorite.
I like this idea. I’m going to try it when my chives bloom.
what a lovely idea! never thought of that. The chives are in bloom in the garden. Must try once it all blooms out. Lovely blog!
Beautiful! Thanks for the lovely idea!
Beautiful. I can’t wait to give this a try!