Chives give food strength and fullness until the beginning of May. At the same time as the purple flowers appear, however, doubts arise about the carefree enjoyment of herbs. Can you eat it even though it is in flower? The following guide clears up any uncertainties and explains how to proceed correctly with flowering chives. The culinary secret behind chive blossoms will no longer remain hidden from you here.
Blossom spoils enjoyment
Blossom spoils the taste
With the beginning of the flowering period, a process begins in the growth that seals the end of the wonderful chive aroma. Stems with a bud rise from the eyrie from the end of April/beginning of May. Now that they have a heavy load to bear, the green tubes are gradually becoming thicker and more stable. The delicate, fresh and spicy pleasure then turns into a bitter, woody disappointment. The reason for this process is the plant's effort to produce a magnificent flower with numerous seeds in order to ensure its continued existence.
Contrary to popular belief, flowering chives are not poisonous - of course, they are not edible either. Therefore, cut off each stem as soon as it blooms. As long as a piece of stem with a height of 2-3 cm remains, the plant will sprout again. Thus, the spicy herb enjoyment continues seamlessly during the flowering period. If, after the first cut, brown discoloration forms on the tips of the chives that grow back, this is no cause for concern and does not affect the quality.
Stems edible
Remaining stems are edible
The inedibility of flowering stalks of chives does not refer to the remaining stalks in the clump. You can continue to harvest and enjoy them without any worries.
How to do it right:
- best time is early morning
- use clean, freshly sharpened cutting tools
- Cut each stalk to a height of two finger widths
Sometimes a stem has split several centimeters above the ground. In this case, cut off the stem above the branch. Thanks to this care, both shoots are preserved for an even richer harvest until autumn. If the split stalk is already flowering, you can cut it back to 3 cm, as it is now inedible anyway.
flower edible
Chive blossoms hold a delicate surprise
Blossoming chives are not just a feast for the eyes. The purple, white or pink flower heads can be excellently integrated into creative dishes as a culinary component. To do this, cut the flowers from the woody stalk and shower them with cold water. The taste of chive flowers challenges the palate with a combination of spicy heat and mild sweetness due to the nectar it contains.
This enables a variety of usage options:
- delicious as a colorful topping for bread and rolls
- fresh, spicy ingredient for crunchy salads
- ideal for low-calorie herb quark
- pickled in herbal oil or vinegar as a very healthy dressing
Furthermore, the tasty blossoms add a culinary twist to warm dishes. In combination with grilled fish and meat, delicious compositions are created that will amaze your guests. Added to a mild cream sauce, fresh omelette or steaming baked potatoes, the flowers of chives have a hot and spicy effect on the taste buds.
flower taste different
Different degrees of sharpness in the flowers
The flowers of a chive plant clearly surpass the stalks in terms of spice and heat. If you don't like the peppery taste, you don't have to give up eating it entirely. In a chive blossom, the sharpness is not at the same high level in all parts. In fact, the concentration is highest in the central part with the petals. The outer, purple-colored bracts, on the other hand, are noticeably milder and have a taste reminiscent of sweet paprika.
By only plucking off the outer petals and using them in the kitchen, you avoid a pungent attack on the palate. Conversely, friends of the extra-hot treat will only eat the middle part of the flowers fresh or chop them finely and add them to warm dishes.
buds usable
Don't throw away buds
In order to prevent a chive plant from producing the energy-sapping flowers, home gardeners harvest the stalks in good time before the flowers form. The buds that have already formed are not poisonous, but far too valuable to be thrown away on the compost. Tightly closed specimens are ideal for preparing flower capers. Put the buds cleaned under running water in a screw-top jar. Make a brew from 200 ml herb, fruit or wine vinegar, peppercorns, salt and a pinch of sugar. Pour this over the chive buds, close the jar tightly and leave it upside down for a month.