- Chives are one of the most popular vegetables that can be found in almost every garden. It begins to bloom in May at the latest and bud-like tips form at the end of the stalk. But what if you have harvested more than you can decorate? Of course, you can freeze chives and enjoy them all year round. But have you ever wondered whether and how to use chive flowers? The small pink-purple flowers are a great eye-catcher, but can also be easily eaten and are a great addition to our summer kitchen. But enough talk, read on and find out below what you can do with chive flowers.
Are chive flowers edible?
Contrary to popular belief, chive flowers are edible and not poisonous. The flowers contain a lot of nectar, which makes chives an excellent plantbee-friendly plantmight. Due to the high nectar content, the flowers do not taste as strong as the stalks of chives, but have a delicate, sweet-sweet taste. As an addition to salads and sauces, aromatic herb butter or even chive vinegar - there are endless ways to use chive flowers.
How to harvest chive flowers?
To use chive flowers, we first need to know how to harvest them correctly. So that you don't disturb the small bees and other protégés in the garden, we recommend harvesting in the early hours of the morning. In addition, the flowers are particularly rich in many essential oils in the morning. Here is a quick guide on how to harvest chive flowers.
- Cut the flower stems right at the base with a sharp knife.
- Pour out the harvested chive flowers vigorously.
- Since vigorous rinsing destroys the petals, make sure that you harvest flowers that are as clean as possible.
- For the best taste, it is best to process the chive flowers immediately after harvesting.
To get the most out of your harvest and avoid food waste, consider our ideas on how you could use chive flowers.
Make your own chive blossom vinegar
What is probably the easiest and at the same time tastiest way to use chive flowers? By making our own chive blossom vinegar, of course! With its mild, slightly sweet taste, this vinegar is a great addition to our summer kitchen and tastes really delicious with crisp salads and vegetarian dishes. Below you will find two options for making chive vinegar yourself.
Ingredients:
- Approximately 20 freshly harvested chive flowers
- 700 ml white vinegar
Preparation:
- The first method is much faster. To do this, heat the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat and pour it over the chive flowers. Let the mixture steep at room temperature for 3 days. Strain through a fine sieve and pour into bottles.
- The second method requires some patience, but it's definitely worth the wait. First, crush the chive flowers with a mortar and place them in a large, clean jar. Pour vinegar over the top until the flowers are completely covered. Close the jar tightly and let it steep for 2 weeks at room temperature, protected from sunlight and heat. Then strain it into a nice glass bottle and voilà – it’s that easy to make your own chive blossom vinegar.
Recipe for chive blossom butter
Whether for frying fish and meat or as a spread – we love herb butter! And we taste it even better when we make it ourselves! So how about trying something new and using chive flowers to make chive flower butter?
Ingredients:
- 5-7 freshly harvested chive flowers
- 120 grams salted butter, at room temperature
Make your own chive blossom butter:
- Soak the chive flowers in cold water for 10-15 minutes and let them dry on a tea towel.
- Separate the florets from the flowers.
- Put the butter in a small bowl and fluff it slightly with a whisk or a mixer.
- Add the florets and mix well with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth mixture.
- Pour into a serving container and store in the refrigerator.
- And your aromatic chive blossom butter is ready!
Herbal salt with chive flowers
And here’s another great idea of how you could use chive flowers! Herbal salt gives our dishes a wonderfully refreshing touch and also looks really great thanks to its purple color. And it's so easy to make chive herb salt yourself:
- How much chive flowers you use depends on your own taste. The more flowers you use, the more intense the herbal salt will taste.
- Allow coarse sea salt to dry in the oven at 50 degrees for 1-2 hours. Alternatively, you can spread it on a flat plate and let it air dry in the warmest possible place. With both methods, you should turn the salt in between.
- Next, finely grind the salt and chive flowers with a hand mortar and pack in an airtight container.
Fried eggs with chive flowers
And finally, we have a really delicious recipe for you with chive flowers. Our fried eggs with chive flowers taste like spring and will definitely be a hit at the next brunch in the garden, we promise.
Ingredients:
- 3 chive stems with the flowers
- 2 Owner
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Roughly chop the chives and flowers and place in the pan for 30 seconds.
- Beat the eggs over it and season with paprika powder, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook over medium heat until the whites are cooked but the yolks are still slightly runny.
- Serve with a crisp salad or fresh bread and enjoy!
