Many people believe that chive flowers are poisonous and therefore cut off the flower-bearing stalks in good time. In fact, the hard and very bitter flower stalks are inedible, but their flowers and buds are all the more tasty. Try it!
flowering and harvest
Chives have a very long flowering period: Depending on the seasonal weather, the herb flowers from March until October. The flower looks very pretty and looks like a fluffy ball from afar. For this reason, in addition to the common chive, there are numerous types of ornamental onions that are cultivated solely for their distinctive flower. Chives usually bloom in a delicate shade of purple, but there are also varieties with white and pink blooms. Use a sharp knife to cut the flowers that are just about to bloom from the stalk, you can leave them on the plant. The best time to harvest is early in the morning, when the essential oil content is highest - and there aren't as many nectar-collecting insects out early in the morning.
Recipe ideas for chive flowers
Only use healthy, undamaged and clean chive flowers. They should never be washed, but at best cleaned by hand. It is also important to check the flowers for any insects and to examine them if necessary - beetles, bees and the like like to hide in the tubes of the stamens. You can use the chive blossoms as well as the stalks, e.g. B. on buttered bread or sprinkled over a salad. They can also be preserved in salt, vinegar or oil, frozen or even used for cooking.
Green sauce with chive flowers
Frankfurt green sauce is a well-known, cold herb sauce that is usually eaten with jacket or boiled potatoes. A refreshing, light and healthy meal for hot summer days! We modified the original recipe a bit:
- Put 300 grams of mixed and chopped herbs (curly parsley, chive blossoms, cress and chervil, borage and sorrel and lemon balm) in a tall container.
- Mix sour cream, sour cream and milk for a total of 500 grams.
- Stir the mixture until smooth and add to the herbs.
- Blend until the mixture turns a nice green color.
- Add a tablespoon each of vinegar and oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Now stir in two hard-boiled and crushed eggs.
- Leave the sauce in the fridge for at least two hours.
Enjoy your meal!
By the way, you should cut the stalks down radically after the flower harvest, so that there are only a maximum of two to three centimeters above the ground. This also works great with a lawn mower. The chives will quickly sprout again.
tips and tricks
The same as for the chive flower applies to a whole range of herbal, fruit and vegetable flowers. These can be used to create numerous delicious ideas: the blossoms can be filled (e.g. pumpkin and zucchini blossoms), they can be preserved in vinegar, salt or sugar (e.g. blossom vinegar made from elderflower or apple blossoms, thyme salt or lavender sugar ) or processed into a sweet liqueur (e.g. elderflower liqueur), syrup (for making lemonade), jelly and much more.
IJA