Flowering time and harvest
Chives have a very long flowering period: Depending on the seasonal weather, the herb blooms from March to October. The flower looks very pretty and from a distance resembles a fluffy ball. For this reason, in addition to the common chives, there are also numerous types of ornamental onion, which are grown for their distinctive flowers. Chives usually have a delicate shade of purple, but there are also white and pink varieties. Use a sharp knife to cut the flowers that have just bloomed fully from the stalk, you can leave them on the plant. The best time to harvest is early in the morning, as the essential oil content is highest at this point - and there are not as many nectar-collecting insects on the way early in the morning.
also read
- Can you dry chives?
- Preserve chives
- Hibernate chives outside without any problems
Recipe ideas for chive flowers
Use only healthy, undamaged and clean chive flowers. Under no circumstances should they be washed, but only cleaned by hand. It is also important to examine the flowers for possible insects and examine them if necessary - beetles, bees and the like like to hide in the tubes of the stamens. You can use the chive flowers just like the stalks, e.g. B. sprinkled on bread and butter or over a salad. They can also be soaked 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 potatoes or boiled potatoes. A refreshing, light and healthy meal for hot summer days! We have modified the original recipe a little:
- Pour 300 grams of mixed and cut herbs (curly parsley, chive flowers, cress and chervil, borage and sorrel and lemon balm) into a tall container.
- Mix the sour cream, sour cream and milk so that a total of 500 grams come together.
- Stir the mixture until smooth and add it to the herbs.
- Puree the whole thing until the mixture has turned 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.
- Let the sauce steep in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Good Appetite!
By the way, you should cut the stalks down radically after the flower harvest so that they are only a maximum of two to three centimeters above the ground. This also works great with a lawn mower. The chives will sprout again quickly.
Tips & Tricks
The same as for the chive flower applies to a whole range of herb, fruit and vegetable flowers. Numerous delicious ideas can be realized from these: the flowers can be filled (e.g. pumpkin and courgette flowers), they can be placed in vinegar, salt or sugar (e.g. flower vinegar made from elderberry or apple blossoms, thyme salt or lavender sugar ) or processed into a sweet liqueur (e.g. elderflower liqueur), syrup (for making lemonades), jelly and much more.
IJA
