Chives are one of the easiest herbs to grow and one of the earliest you can harvest. It's satisfying to pick a few leaves from your dooryard chive plant or windowsill pot and snip them into miso soup. Did you know the flowers are edible too? Chives bloom early in the spring. My first blossom is appearing as I write this in mid-April. Once a flower is fully open, separate the florets and sprinkle them over your spring greens salad. So purple, so pretty.
My favourite thing to do when the chives are in bloom is to make Chive Flower Apple Cider Vinegar.
It couldn't be simpler. Collect a quart or so of flowers. Wash them well in a salad spinner and let them dry on a tea towel for a few hours. Drying overnight is even better so there won't be any clinging water to dilute the vinegar.
Pack the dry flowers into a glass jar. Pour in apple cider vinegar until all the flowers are covered. Screw the top on the jar or cover it with cheesecloth and let it sit at room temperature for a fortnight. You can give it a shake once a day if you want to feel like you're contributing to the process.
After two weeks, strain the vinegar into an attractive jar and and admire its brilliant colour. Sniff it. There is definitely a slight onion aroma.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Salad dressing, of course.
Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing
Commercial salad dressing has rarely been in our fridge since I learned to make oil and vinegar dressing in my twenties. Thanks, Adele Davis. The classic choice of oil is extra virgin olive. Avocado is also good. You can choose lemon or lime juice or any vinegar for the acidic component. We mostly use either balsamic vinegar or this chive flower apple cider vinegar. Balsamic is sweet. Apple cider vinegar is on the sour side and benefits from the addition of a little honey.
In a bowl with a top that seals, use a ratio of two parts oil to one part vinegar. For example, the amount for a salad for two would be 1 tablespoon oil to 1/2 tablespoon vinegar. Add seasoning and sweetener to taste if desired. Shake the dressing well to combine. I think the original instructions said "to emulsify," but we never worry about that. Add the salad ingredients, seal the lid, shake-turn thirty times. That's it, you're done. Plate and enjoy.
Yes! I found it. I was looking at my flowering chive plant wondering, what was that chive flower recipe all about? Thank you! I will try making chive flower apple cider vinegar.
PS A re the mature chives still tasty after cutting off their flower?