Chive blossoms and leaves infused in white vinegar. Photo by Monica Jones
The 16th-century English poet Thomas Tusser wrote, “Sweet April showers do spring May Flowers,” modernized to “April showers bring May flowers.”
I’m sure this was a sage gardening trope for his village of Rivenhall, but in Colorado, only a fool plants before Mother’s Day. I taunted the gardening gods by planting the day before Mother’s Day, and I had to cover my baby plants with cups and buckets to shield them from the hail that struck hours later.
Do not fuck with the gardening gods.
Since our garden hasn’t been in the ground very long, I’m not expecting tomatoes and squash until August, but our chives have been flourishing for months.
The flowers are edible, but I never bothered with them until this year. Chives are in the same family as onions and garlic, and the blossoms have a mild onion-like flavor. This batch of chive-flavored vinegar is almost ready to bottle. Pretty pink vinegar calls for pretty glass bottles, so I’ll splurge on a few for myself and friends.
I had so many blossoms that I quadrupled this recipe from The Spruce Eats. I added a handful of chive leaves for stronger flavor, but feel free to use just the blossoms.