Most people just use the fresh stalks of chives and throw away the buds and flowers. However, you should not do that, because the flowers are not only edible, their buds can also be used as a wonderful substitute for capers.

Chive blossom capers

For pickling the chive buds, only use flower buds that are still tight and clean. If possible, pick them early in the morning, as this is when the essential oil content is highest - the more aromatic your false capers will be. And this is how the flower capers are prepared:

  • Take a screw-top jam jar and rinse it thoroughly with boiling water.
  • About 50 grams of chive buds fit into a standard glass jar.
  • Fill the buds into the dried jar.
  • Add fresh herbs to taste. Great fit e.g. B. tarragon, thyme and rosemary sprigs.
  • Boil up a stock of approx. 200 milliliters of good apple, white or red wine vinegar, 10 grams each of salt and sugar, some finely chopped garlic and half a teaspoon each of mustard and peppercorns.
  • Pour the hot brew into the prepared glasses.
  • Leave as little air as possible.
  • Immediately seal the jars and turn them upside down.
  • Leave the fake capers in a dark and dry place for at least four weeks.

What do the wrong capers taste like?

The fake capers can be used just like real capers and taste good in numerous hearty dishes with fish, meat or cheese, but also with pasta or in salads. Incidentally, you can use the freshly harvested chive blossoms to decorate dishes or as a substitute for stalks of chives - they have a very intense, chive-typical aroma, which is both sharper and (thanks to the nectar it contains) sweeter than that of the stalks.

tips and tricks

Not only chive buds taste delicious with cheese, fish, meat or pasta dishes, you can also pickle other edible flower buds as described. The flower buds of wild herbs such as daisies, dandelion or wild garlic, for example, are perfect, as are the buds of nasturtium and elderflower. However, it is important to only collect clean and healthy buds - not necessarily from the roadside - and process them as fresh as possible.

IJA

Category:

Vegetable garden