This savoury vinegar, made with white wine vinegar and freshly picked chive blossoms, has a light onion flavour and beautiful pink colour. It is easy to make, and a bottle will keep for months. Use it on salads or chicken, sprinkle it on french fries, or use it as a bread dipper. This pretty vinegar also makes a great homemade gift.

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What is Chive Blossom Vinegar?
Chive blossom vinegar is a delicious, savoury vinegar made using freshly picked chive blossoms and mild white vinegar.
It is a wonderful way to use the pretty purple/pink blossoms in spring.
The chive blossoms are placed in a mason jar; then, the jar is filled with vinegar. The jar is left to sit for a few days or weeks, depending on how strongly flavoured you’d like it to be; then, strain the blossoms from the vinegar and store the finished product in a jar or bottle.
The finished product will have a delicate, oniony chive flavour and a beautiful pink colour.
Chive blossom vinegar can be used in almost any savoury dish that calls for white vinegar to add a bit of flavour, or you can use it on salads, mixed with olive oil as a bread dipper, or sprinkled on salty french fries.
You can store chive blossom vinegar just as you would any other vinegar in the refrigerator or the pantry.
Poured in a tall flip-top bottle this vinegar looks pretty on the dinner table and makes a great homemade gift.
Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You only need two ingredients to make homemade chive blossom vinegar;
- Freshly picked chive blossoms
- Vinegar
For the best flavour and colour, you want to choose fresh chive blossoms that are fully opened but that have not started to dry.
You can use almost any white vinegar, but the nicest flavour will come from white wine or champagne vinegar. Plain white vinegar will also work. You will want to avoid strong vinegar such as red wine or sherry as they mask the delicate chives’ flavour.

Step by Step Instructions
Begin by giving the chives a gentle wash in a bowl of water to remove any debris or insects that may be hiding. Then blot the blossoms dry on a paper towel.
Place the blossoms in a mason jar, gently packing and filling them to the top.

Heat the vinegar in a small pot until it simmers, or use the microwave for 45-60 seconds. You want the vinegar warm but not boiling.
Pour the vinegar into the jar over the blossoms until it reaches the top. You may need more or less vinegar depending on how many blossoms you use and how tightly packed they are.
You don’t have to be precise with this recipe.

Pro-Tip: You don’t have to heat the vinegar if you don’t want to, but starting with the warm vinegar will reduce the time the blossoms need to steep. If you prefer not to heat the vingegar, you will want to let the vinegar rest for at least five days before straining it.
Place the lid on the jar and then leave the jar in a cool dark place to let the blossoms steep. A pantry or dark corner of the kitchen is fine; you don’t need to refrigerate.
Let the blossoms steep for at least three days, but you can allow them steep longer if you’d like a more robust flavour or colour.

Once the blossoms have steeped and the vinegar has turned pink, strain the vinegar through a fine mesh strainer to remove the flowers.

Pour the vinegar into bottles, or return the jar for storage.

Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious, flavourful vinegar.
It can be used instead of plain white or white wine vinegar in almost any savoury recipe, especially recipes that contain onion or garlic. But there are many other ways to use this condiment.
Salad dressing – Serve this vinegar in a pretty bottle alongside your favourite salad oil to make a simple salad dressing. You can also use it in any salad dressing recipe that calls for vinegar.
Marinade – Use this vinegar in marinade recipes for beef, chicken, or pork. It works incredibly well in recipes that contain garlic or onion.
On french fries – Add extra flavour to your french fries by using this delicious chive vinegar instead of plain white vinegar.
As a bread dipper – Mix a bit of vinegar with some olive oil in a small, shallow dish, and you have a delicious dipper for crusty bread such as sourdough, focaccia, or baguettes.
Storage
You can store this vinegar just like any other in the refrigerator or a cool, dark pantry.
Vinegar should be stored in a glass container, such as a mason jar or bottle, to avoid picking up a plastic taste.
Flip-top bottles are a great option as they are easy to store and they are easy to pour from.
Top Tips & FAQS
- The best flavour and colour will come from fully opened blossoms that have not yet started to dry.
- Don’t be afraid to pack the jar with blossoms. The more you use, the stronger the flavour and colour will be. You do not need to be precise with this recipe.
- The best flavour will come from white wine or champagne vinegar. Plain white vinegar will also work, or you can mix them.
- You want to steep this vinegar for at least three days, but leaving it for five days or longer will give you more flavour and colour. It can even be stored for several weeks before straining.
Chive blossom vinegar will keep for several months after it has been strained.
You can store the vinegar just as you would any other vinegar, either in the pantry or the refrigerator. It should be stored in glass containers such as jars or bottles for the best flavour. Avoid plastic or metal, as they can alter the taste of the vinegar.

More Easy Condiments
Printable Recipe

Chive Blossom Vinegar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh chive blossoms
- 1 ½ cups white wine vinegar or champagne, or plain white vinegar
Instructions
- Place the chive blossoms into a bowl and fill with cool water. Swish the flowers to remove any debris or insects, then strain them and blot them dry with a paper towel.
- Gently pack the blossoms into a mason jar, filling it to the top.
- Heat the vinegar in a saucepan or in the microwave, just until it's simmering. You want it warm, but not hot.
- Pour the vinegar into the jar, filling it to the top. You may need more or less vinegar depending on how many chive blossoms you used and how tightly you packed them.
- Place the lid on the jar, then move it to a cool dark place to steep. A pantry, or dark corner of the kitchen is fine, there is no need to refrigerate.
- Allow the vinegar to steep for at least three days. You want it to have a vibrant pink colour and when you remove the lid and smell it, it should have a mild, onion scent. If you want the colour and flavour stronger, you can allow it to continue to steep until you are satisfied.
- Once the vinegar is ready, strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the blossoms, then pour it into bottles or you can return it to the jar.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.