How to Use Chive Blossoms to Brighten up Summer Dishes

All About Chive Blossoms

What are chive blossoms?

You're probably already familiar with the long, greens chive leaves you can buy packaged at the market. But unless you're growing your own, you might not know that when springtime starts sauntering towards summer, chive plants (Allium schoenprasum) send up hollow stems called scapes, and at the end of each scape is a bud that develops into a flower.

Now comes the magic. Each chive flower is made up of a cluster of florets. Free the florets from the flower head and you get a multitude of tiny blossoms ready to elevate the look and taste of every dish they grace.

What do chive blossoms taste like?

Chives come from the same allium family as onions so they do fall into that flavor profile. But being the delicate ballerinas they are, their taste is more like a whisper of onion. That means they're mild enough to eat uncooked.

Where can you find chive blossoms?

If you don't grow chives, or know someone who does, you might be able to find them at a farmers' market in May and June. Grab them when you see them, because their growing season is way too short.

How to use chive blossoms in recipes

Here are a few tips and ideas to get you started. I'll tell you how to prep the blossoms and how to use them to add flavor and cheerful color to recipes.

How to prep chive blossoms

• Make sure they're organically grown. Like any other herbs you eat, you want them to be free of pesticides and contaminants.
• Wash before using. I grow lots of chives in my organic garden, and I know from experience that the flowers can house the tiniest bugs imaginable. To flush them out, just plunge the flowers into water several time and swish them around. Repeat a few times and pat dry.
• Separate the flowers into florets. Using your fingers, gently pull the florets away from the center of the flower head. Some florets may come away attached to a tiny stem of their own, but that just makes them more adorable.

Using chive blossoms in recipes

After you've separated the florets, you can use them to great effect in lots of different ways:

• Sprinkle them over egg recipes and savory crepes to give them a pop of color and texture.
• Gently mash them into softened butter or cream cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld.
• If you're making a potato salad flavored with chive leaves, crumble a few flower heads in there as well.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of chive florets to a savory biscuit recipe.
• Mash chopped chive leaves into deviled egg fillings and garnish with chive florets.
• Toss them into all kinds of salad recipes.
• Add them to salad dressings.
• Use them to garnish soups.

Try this recipe for Chive Blossom Infused Vinegar

This delicate chive vinegar is very easy to make and gets even more rosy colored after a couple of weeks. Strain out the flowers and store the vinegar or give it away as a gorgeous homemade food gift.