Yesterday, whilst collected chive flowers, I noticed a bumblebee feeding on them, too. Only this one didn’t flit about. It was like a statue. On one flower for as long as it took me to collect two tubfuls and run inside to fetch my phone.
The bumblebee clearly had more sense than me when it comes to appreciating chive flowers. Last year, I preserved two large jars of them in vinegar. What a mistake!
Thank goodness for the bokashi bin. And thank goodness for the freezer. This is where I will preserve my flowers from now on.
I always use the chive flowers with the chives – so chop them and add them to salads, or use them as decoration. And I pick them and eat them straight from the plant 😉
They are very pretty as decoration, aren’t they?
I’ve got so many chive flowers, it would be a shame not to freeze the ones I can’t eat now…..
Great photo. The bees are very camera shy around here!
Thank you… I wouldn’t normally be able to get a photo like this 😊.
Congratulations on capturing that terrific photo. I’ve taken 100 photos of bees, just to get one clear one. They move rapidly from flower to flower. It’s nice to see that a chive makes for a long stop.
I couldn’t believe my luck, Alys 😊.
It’s a good shot of the bee. I have made chive vinegar before and used it as a dressing – never thought of it as a way of preserving the flowers. 🙂
Thanks!
What does chive vinegar consist of/how do you make it? (I’m wondering what to do with the vinegar from last year’s attempt to preserve the flowers.)
Just fill a jar with chive heads and pour in the vinegar. It should take on a mild onion flavour and turn pink.
I posted about it but can’t find it. However, this one is better than mine.
https://thehandyhomemaker.com/2016/07/03/homemade-chive-blossom-vinegar/
Okay, so you used the flowers to make the vinegar, not the vinegar to preserve the flowers!
Interesting about the chives in vinegar – were they like pickles onions?
A bit but sharper. I was wondering if I followed a recipe for pickling onions it might make the chive flowers more palatable.
always worth a little experimentation!