Celebrate spring with this easy chive blossom vinegar recipe! Learn to make this vibrant vinegar using fresh chive flowers from your garden.

Chives are one of the first herbs to wake up in my potager garden each spring.

I love the grassy texture of chive leaves in the garden and those cheerful lavender pom-pom flowers that appear in early to mid-spring.

Chives have a mild, oniony flavor that’s perfect for adding to homecooked meals, but I think the flowers are the real showstopper in the garden this time of year.

Both the leaves and flowers of chives are edible, and one of my favorite ways to capture this fleeting season is by making chive blossom vinegar.

It’s so easy to make, absolutely gorgeous, and a simple way to start eating more seasonally from our gardens.

What Is Chive Blossom Vinegar?

Chive blossom vinegar is a flavored vinegar made by steeping fresh chive flowers in vinegar for at least a week or more.

Slowly infusing chive blossoms in vinegar imparts a delicate onion flavor to the vinegar as well as a vibrant pink color.

This infused vinegar can only be made with fresh chive flowers, which makes it an extra special seasonal treat.

If you’re growing chives in your own garden, removing the spent flowers that you don’t use for chive blossom vinegar helps to keep the plant healthy and productive for the rest of the growing season.

Why Grow and Eat Chives?

Chives are such a great herb to have in the edible and medicinal garden. They are very easy to grow, are perennial in zones 3-9, and thrive both in containers and in the ground.

Full of vitamin C, chives also contain compounds that support digestion, act as an expectorant, and reduce inflammation (source).

Chives are also high in anti-oxidants and contain many of the same benefits as eating other alliums such as garlic and onions (source).

They’re also just delicious to snip over eggs, to stir into dips, or to add as a topping to baked potatoes and salads.

If you like onion flavor, but aren’t a fan of raw onion, you’ll love chives.

Ingredients and Supplies

To make this infused vinegar, you will need:

fresh chive blossoms
any type of white vinegar (distilled white vinegar, or milder options like white wine or champagne vinegar)
a clean pint jar and plastic or glass lid
a strainer
patience 🙂

And that’s it!

Note about vinegar: Using a clear white, or very pale cream-colored vinegar will help create that vibrant pink color. Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar would be fine to use, but will not yield the same colorful result as using distilled white or white wine vinegar.

How to Make Chive Blossom Vinegar

Step 1: Harvest the chive blossoms. Just snap the flowers right off the stalks and into your container.

Choose newly opened flowers and skip any that have begun to fade or dry out.

Step 2: Rinse the flowers gently to remove bugs or dirt if needed. Let them dry on a towel or gently pat them dry.

Step 3: Fill a clean pint jar or other container with the chive flowers. I had over a cup of flowers and it filled up my pint jar about 2/3rds of the way full.

You can use more or fewer flowers if you want. The exact amounts don’t matter too much, but the more flowers you have, the stronger the flavor will be.

Pour enough vinegar over the flowers to cover them completely. I used about 2 cups of distilled white vinegar.

Press the flowers down with a clean spoon to make sure they are submerged in the liquid.

jar of chive blossom vinegar infusing in the pantry

Step 4: Cover the jar with a plastic or glass lid. A metal lid will corrode if it comes in contact with the vinegar.

Label the jar with the name and date.

Step 5: Store the infusing vinegar in a dark cupboard or pantry away from direct sunlight for about 1-2 weeks. Shake the jar every so often so that the flowers on top continually become covered in vinegar.

Step 6: After the vinegar is finished infusing, strain out the blossoms using a fine-meshed strainer or cheesecloth.

Discard or compost the flowers and pour your beautiful pink vinegar into a clean bottle or jar.

Storage and Shelf Life

Chive blossom vinegar is shelf-stable and will last about a year, though it’s best enjoyed within six months for best flavor and color.

Store it in a cool, dark place, or in the fridge to make it last longer

If it ever gets cloudy or smells off, it’s time to toss it.

pouring vibrant pink chive blossom vinegar into a small bowl

How to Use Chive-Infused Vinegar

This delicious spring vinegar will liven up and flavorize just about any dish.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Dressings and Vinaigrettes: Mix with extra virgin olive oil to make a quick vinaigrette for salads and roast vegetables.
Dips and Sauces: Use in place of plain vinegar or lemon and lime juice in dips and sauces like chimichurri, salsa, or tzatziki.
Quick Pickling: Chive blossom vinegar will give pickled veggies a mild onion note. (Find a list of 10 veggies to quick pickle here.)
Hot Pepper Vinegar: Make this Southern “hot sauce” condiment by adding hot chili peppers to your chive blossom vinegar.
Pasta or Potato Salad: Substitute the acid you normally use to make pasta or potato salad with chive blossom vinegar.
Marinades: Use chive blossom vinegar in place of plain vinegar in your go-to meat or veggie marinade.
Soups: Add a splash of infused vinegar to brighten the flavor of soups and veggie purees at the end of cooking.

More Seasonal Pantry Projects

If you liked this easy spring recipe, here are a few other seasonal homemade condiment recipes that you might enjoy!

Whether you’re new to herb gardening of just trying to eat more seasonally, chive blossom vinegar is an easy way to begin.

Thanks for reading and have a happy spring!

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