Chive Blossom Vinegar

This chive blossom vinegar is a beautiful pink and has a good onion, garlic flavour.  It makes wonderful salad dressing and it is especially good in a home-made Caesar dressing.  Below are chives gone wild from the old homestead out in the back forty (well back seven actually).  

First, collect the the blossoms by separating from the the stalks.  An easy way to do this is to place your fingers between the stalks, palms up, and pull upwards.  This should give you a handful!  You will need a few cups to make a liter (quart) of good strength chive vinegar.

If you want your chives to last well into the fall cut them straight across at the base with a sharp knife.  They regrow quickly.  This stops them from going to seed and dying back.

Rinse blossoms under cold running water to remove any small pests or dirt.  Leave on a clean towel to air dry.  Stuff them into a clean bottle, blossom end up.  Fill jar with white vinegar and cap.  White wine vinegar or unflavoured rice vinegar works well.  You can flavour other vinegars like red wine or cider with chive blossoms but you won't get to see the pretty pink colour.  

The pretty pink vinegar below on day one... not much infused yet.  Leave to steep in cool dark place.

Add more vinegar in 24 hours if necessary as the blossoms will absorb some and you want to keep them covered.  The blossoms will eventually turn the vinegar a beautiful pink and lose most of their colour.  This should take 4-7 days.  Then, strain vinegar and discard blossoms.  Don't keep the blossoms in the vinegar or it will start to taste to skunky!  Keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.  Use in the "Chive and Honey Vinaigrette" I posted  - or any way you like flavoured vinegar.  That's it!  Super easy.

© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc