Most people only use the fresh stalks of chives and throw away the buds and flowers. However, you shouldn't do that, because the flowers are not only edible, their buds can also be wonderfully used as a substitute for capers.
What can you do with chive buds?
Chive buds are edible and can serve as a tasty substitute for capers. To pickle them you need 50 grams of closed flower buds, vinegar, s alt, sugar, herbs, garlic, mustard and peppercorns. After at least four weeks of steeping, they taste great in savory dishes.
Chive blossom capers
When inserting the chive buds, only use tightly closed and clean flower buds. Pick them early in the morning if possible, as this is when the essential oil content is highest - the more aromatic your false capers will be. And this is how the flower capers are prepared:
- Take a jam jar with a screw cap and rinse it thoroughly with boiling water.
- Approximately 50 grams of chive buds fit into a standard jar.
- Put the buds into the dried jar.
- Add fresh herbs to taste. Great fit e.g. E.g. sprigs of tarragon, thyme and rosemary.
- Boil a stock of approx. 200 milliliters of good apple, white or red wine vinegar, 10 grams each of s alt and sugar, a little finely chopped garlic and half a teaspoon each of mustard and peppercorns.
- Pour the hot broth into the prepared glasses.
- Leave as little air as possible.
- Immediately close the jars and turn them upside down.
- Let the false capers sit in a dark and dry place for at least four weeks.
What do fake capers taste like?
The false capers can be used in the same way as real capers and taste good in numerous savory dishes with fish, meat or cheese, but also with pasta or in salads. You can use the freshly harvested chive flowers to decorate dishes or as a substitute for chive stalks - they have a very intense, typical chive aroma, which is both sharper and (thanks to the nectar they contain) sweeter than that of the stalks.
Tips & Tricks
Not only chive buds taste delicious with cheese, fish, meat or pasta dishes, you can also pickle other buds of edible flowers as described. For example, the flower buds of wild herbs such as daisies, dandelions or wild garlic are perfect, as are the buds of nasturtiums and elderflowers. However, it is important to only collect clean and he althy buds - not necessarily from the side of the road - and to process them as freshly as possible.
