Ways to Use Chive Blossoms, Part of the Herb Garden Series
Three ways to use chive blossoms from your garden are the second part of the Herb Garden series. We discussed edible flowers during our last Zoom chat, as well as during a book club meeting. We recently read an herb book in our CCL Book Club. One of my favorite edible flowers is chive blossoms. I wanted to share three ways to use chive blossoms. I use them, and I also freeze them for winter use. As my Grandmother would say, “This is how we put-it-up to use later.” ~ I like to remember how she said that.
Chives blooming in the herb garden
Chives are blooming in the garden. They bloom in early summer. The flower blossoms are composed of multiple florets. They prefer sun to part shade but are truly adaptable to any sun or soil. Except for deep shade and wet soil. They’re also perennial – plant them once and you’re done.
It is best to cut the blossoms and leaves in the morning, as at this time the flavor is at its peak. Wash the chives, then blot them dry and leave them out to dry completely. Now let’s move on to the three ways to use chive blossoms.
One way to use chive blossoms – freeze them
Cut the flower heads apart into single florets to use for compound butter and freezing. Freezing chive leaves whole allows you to pull out what you need from a resealable freezer bag and snip off the amount required for winter cooking. The snipped-off pieces defrost quickly. When freezing the florets, place them on a lined cookie sheet and lay them out in a single layer. Put them in the freezer. The next day, pull them out and place them in a resealable freezer bag to use as desired.
Creating chive blossom compound butter
Another way to use chive blossoms is by creating compound butters. Gently mix salted butter with chive florets and a few snippets of the leaves. The picture is using one stick of butter. How much to add? To your taste, these add a gentle onion flavor to the butter. I use a handful of flowers, so approximately 1/2 cup. You can allow this to “blend flavors” for a few hours to use now. It will be soft, so put it in a bowl. I like a glass one so that you can see all the pretty flowers.
Wrap it up in parchment paper to form a cylinder. Place the cylinder in a resealable freezer bag so you can easily pull it out and slice it as needed. This pairs well with bread, grilled steak, fish, salmon, or potatoes. Or if you wish to make some for the upcoming holidays, and have a special butter dish. Line the dish with plastic wrap, then add your butter and allow it to freeze overnight. Then pull out frozen butter, be gentle with your dish, and put butter in a freezer bag until needed.
Chive blossom vinegar
Put washed and dried chive flower heads in a glass container, then fill just above blossoms with vinegar (white wine vinegar or unseasoned rice wine vinegar). Allow to steep for 1-3 weeks. The vinegar will take on a beautiful rosy color. Use this to make a delicate salad dressing or marinade.
Chive blossoms are beautiful edible flowers. I hope you try using them as you would use chives in your cooking. Just add them to cold dishes or at the end of cooking. If you’re looking for more ways to use herbs and herb flowers, I’ve written another blog and checklist: 12+ Culinary Herbs to Grow. Additionally, an Herb Garden Membership will be launching soon. Sign up to be notified when it begins.
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