Chive Blossom Vinegar

There hasn't been much going on in my kitchen worth posting about recently since I've been working hard on getting my gourmet menu selected, printing and sent out to our group of five couples.  In a little over one week, we host our gourmet group at our home and, since I work next week, time was ticking to get this done! 

There is one thing that I found I saw recently that I had to share.  Thank you to Valerie at A Canadian Foodie for introducing me to Chive Flower Vinegar.  Luckily, I saw her post and was able to pluck my chive blossoms before they were past their prime last week. 

This will taste wonderful in salad dressings or other recipes where flavored vinegars are used.

The finished vinegar is not only a gorgeous color but the scent is wonderful!

The method is very simple: 

1.  Pick fully-opened chive blossoms.  Allow them to soak in water for a while to remove any debris or tiny creatures that may be hiding inside.  

2.  Put them in a salad spinner to remove all excess water or pat dry with a clean towel.

3.  Pack the cleaned blossoms into a jar (I filled my jar to the top with all the blossoms I had) and then fill with white vinegar to cover the blossoms. Allow to steep in a cool, dark place.  I put mine in the refrigerator.  

4.  Allow the blossoms to steep in the vinegar for about 1-2 weeks and then strain and refrigerate.  (If you are using a jar with a metal lid, place some plastic wrap in between the lid and jar as the acidity of the vinegar could corrode the lid)