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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Chive Vinegar

It's chive time.    They're among the first of my herbs to pop up and start blooming.

Everyone knows how to harvest the green leaves.   You chop them up and use them wherever you need a hint of onion flavor.

The flowers have a lovely onion-y flavor, too. 

Plus, they're pink.   Pink things just taste better.  Ask K2.

My favorite thing to do with chive flowers is make chive vinegar.  I use my homemade white wine vinegar.


Isn't it beautiful?

Occasionally, you can catch me just staring at the jar.  It's so pretty.

To make chive vinegar, all you have to do is put the flowers in a jar of vinegar and let it steep in the sun for a week or so.   The vinegar turns a lovely shade of pink.  Eventually, the flowers lose their color and you can strain them out. 

If your chives flower only sporadically during the season, don't worry.  You can add the flowers as you find them.  When you find a flower, pop it into the jar.  Take the old faded ones out when you need to.  

Chive vinegar is my favorite to use in salad dressings.   I try to make as much as I can during the year.