How to Harvest and Cook with Chive Flowers

If you grow chives, you've likely seen the little pink or purple pompoms on your plants in late spring to early summer.

These dainty flower heads aren't just food for the bees, however—chive blossoms are a delicious edible flower that you can eat, too.

Here's what you need to know about harvesting chive flowers, using them in your everyday meals, and buying and storing them if you don't have chives in the garden.

Make sure the chive flowers are organically grown (like all herbs you eat).

01.

You want them to be free of pesticides and other contaminants.

02.

Simply dunk the flowers in a bowl of clean water, swish them around, then pat dry. This should remove any debris and teeny tiny bugs that take up residence between the florets.

Wash your chive flowers before using.

03.

If you want dainty wisps to sprinkle over your food, gently pull the florets away from the center of the flower head with your fingers.

Use chive flowers whole or separate them into florets.

04.

It’s best to store them whole, and I find it easiest to seal them inside a plastic bag or lidded container. They should keep for up to one week in the fridge.

Store any unused chive flowers in the refrigerator.

If you don’t grow chives at home, you can usually find chive blossoms in specialty grocers and farmers’ markets in May and June. They’re hard to find after that as their season is short, so be sure to grab them if you see them.

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