Chive Flower Vinegar
We have a chive plant that grows in a sunny and well watered nook at the front of our house alongside some purple speedwell. Every Winter the declines and every Spring it returns, nourished by the overflow from the gutter over the front door. It thrives so much that last year when the flowers died off the seeds spread. There are now baby chive plants flourishing in the raised beds.
This year I don’t want to let the flowers dry out and spread the tiny black seeds. I want to make the most of their distinctive flavour and preserve them by making chive flower vinegar.
To make chive flower vinegar is ridiculously easy and so I can’t really call it a recipe. You can see here I used a small glass jar. I jammed it full with about 10 chive heads that were just past their prime, then poured white wine vinegar over the top. Cover and leave the infusion in a cool dry place for at least a week.
After the vinegar has stood for a this time, the chive flowers become pickled and on their own add a fantastic zing to a salad. The flowers won’t last more than 3 weeks here but the rosy-tinged vinegar will so I’ll add it to my salad dressings for far longer.
Yesterday I added some separated pickled chive flowers to a few pieces of baby rainbow chard, sprinkled some salt and cracked black pepper on top and had a beautiful, light green salad.
Caitriona Redmond
I'm an Irish mother to 2 boys, born & bred in Dublin, Ireland. I like to cook simple & fresh food for the family, with the family on a budget.
15 Comments
Sinéad Ledwidge
What a lovely idea :-)Like you I use the Chive flowers in salads and also in omelettes.Last week I decorated a homemade pizza with them and basil leaves.It did look pretty.I will definitely make the vinegar this week.Thanks for another great idea
Wholesome Ireland
Thanks Sinéad! I hope you enjoy it. x
Eugenie Wilson-Bower
I love this idea: thank you!
Wholesome Ireland
Ah I hope you try it out Eugenie. It’s fab!
Girl with the skew earring
Our community garden has some flowers that they can spare and I am so doing this!!!
Wholesome Ireland
Brilliant. If they’re going to spare there is no harm is giving it a go!
What should I eat for breakfas
I have chive flowers on my window, I can try this out 🙂
Wholesome Ireland
Oh that sounds so pretty!
kathryn
Reminded me I had a whole case of Devid Llewellyn’s vinegar hardly started on – so that’d be chive flower vinegar, elderflower vinegar, meadowsweet vinegar, thyme flower vinegar – now what other flowers would work well……..Christmas present making time. You can never start too soon
Wholesome Ireland
That is very true. I’ll be straining out the flowers next week. There is a beautiful blush hue on the vinegar at this stage. Don’t think it’s going to last very long!
kathryn
Just remembered rose petal vinegar – flavour and colour and stupenous. And rose petal vodka is pretty good too – Nicky makes a mean one
caribougrrl
Thanks for the inspiration!
http://moosecurrry.blogspot.ca/2013/07/five-things-to-do-with-chive-flowers.html
~ Fefe Noir and caribougrrl
Wholesome Ireland
Oh brilliant. Great pictures too! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Karen Warr
Every year, just as my chive flowers pass their prime, I remember that I want to make this. At the moment they are dried up and dropping seeds everywhere (which is fine because my five-year-old eats so many chives straight out of the yard my poor plants can barely keep up). One of these days…
Wholesome Ireland
Ah well, maybe next year!