It is barely a recipe. Just cut ripe chive blossoms off their stems. Wash them in a bowl of cold water. Spin or lightly squeeze them dry. Fill a jar with the blossoms, about halfway full. Add good white wine vinegar to the top. Within a day or two, the lavender-colored blossoms will have tainted the vinegar raspberry pink. After two weeks, strain the blossoms and pour the vinegar into a bottle for easy use.
I am certain it will be a stunning addition to salad dressings, but that remains a surprise for me, too. In the meantime, the color is justification enough.
I had never flavored oils or vinegars, but I stumbled onto this excellent idea by Food in Jars via Lottie + Doof the other day. It was propitious as my balcony was all abloom with light red roses and these purple chive blossoms. It looked so pretty I couldn’t bring myself to cut them. So I waited as long as I could, until the faintest sign of wilting, before chopping all the blossoms — I’m sure the vinegar won’t mind them past their prime. It is barely a recipe, and such a great idea!
Tags: chive blossoms, chives, vinegar
Nettle and Quince 
27 May 2012 at 03:58 |
I’m making this right now! Saw chives at the Greenmarket with blossoms and I immediately knew what I was going to do with the flowers.
I didn’t realize until I got home that I was out of white wine vinegar. I used coconut vinegar . . . I’ll report back in a week after I strain it!
30 May 2012 at 19:59 |
Exciting! I initially said in my post that the blossoms should steep for one week, but going back to the original recipe I saw it is 2 (and corrected it in the text). I have never used coconut vinegar – does it have a very different taste?
30 May 2012 at 23:45 |
Hmmm! That’s interesting! Maybe I’ll leave it in for two weeks and see what happens. Coconut vinegar is kind of like a milder version of apple cider vinegar. It’s pretty delicate as far as vinegars go. I use it to sprinkle on salmon that I cook in parchment paper.
I’ll let you know how two weeks go!
23 May 2012 at 01:25 |
So simple and so pretty. I can’t wait to try this. It looks wonderful!
24 May 2012 at 10:42 |
Thanks. I know it’s hard to resist making it, and practically a reason in itself to grow chives!
24 May 2012 at 15:51 |
Chive blossoms are so beautiful. I don’t blame you for waiting before making your vinegar! It is such a good reason to grow chives too.