Should you let garlic chives flower?
Well, there’s really no harm in letting your chives bloom, but your harvest might get smaller if you do. Most plants will produce smaller leaves when there are flowers too. Chive Blossoms If you wish to eat these lovely little purple flowers, just snip them off the stem because the stem isn’t edible. You can harvest the leaves and flowers as and when you want to use them. Chives are perennial, so they’ll grow back every year!Chive blossoms are an excellent source of vitamin K for building healthy bones and blood clotting. The flowers also contain vitamin A to support cell growth and vision and vitamin C to support the immune system.Recipes using chive blossoms They can be used to brighten up salads and crudité platters, and go particularly well with egg, pasta and potato dishes. They can be fried like zucchini flowers, made into pretty pink vinegar or mixed with goat’s cheese for a fresher, lighter take on cheese and onion.When you harvest chives with flowers, you can make a chive blossom vinegar to put on salads or use as a garnish (it’s a pretty pink color). Again, the blossom stems will be more rigid than normal chives stems, so if they’re not to your liking, I recommend composting them.
What to do with garlic chive flowers?
Fresh chive blossoms are often seen topping salads and soups, imparting their subtle onion flavor to these savory dishes. A chive blossom vinaigrette can be made from fresh chive blossoms, white vinegar and raw honey to top all varieties of summer and spring greens. Chive Blossom Vinegar Place the whole blossoms in a clean glass pint jar with a tight-fitting lid and pour the vinegar over them, covering the blossoms but leaving about 1 inch of headspace. Screw on a plastic storage lid and let the jar stand at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Are garlic chives safe to eat?
Yes, garlic chives can be eaten raw and make a delicious garnish. They can also be cooked in dishes such as stir fries or soups. They are usually added at the end of the cooking process to get the best flavour from them. If they are cooked for too long, the flavour fades. Garlic chives can be eaten raw but also hold up to cooking and are very similar in texture to leeks when they are cooked-kind of melting into a dish.If you have a few clumps in your garden, you can supply your kitchen with garlic chives throughout the spring, summer, and fall. If you live in a warmer climate, you can harvest chives all year round! They are also a cut and come again crop. Cut them about 1-inch above ground level, and they’ll simply grow back!If they go to flower, their natural job is done and they don’t need to produce flavorful leaves which attract pollinators and repel predators. If herbs are cut back they produce more stems of herbs so the amount of gatherings is greater and greater all summer long. I let my chives flower this year.Are Chives a Perennial Plant? Chives are a cold-hardy little perennial that will return from the roots each year. If you experience a cold season (during which you can regularly expect frost or snow), your chives will die back in the winter but then return on their own in the spring—a welcome sight every year!
What are the medicinal uses of garlic chives?
Culinary or Medicinal Uses Chives are best used fresh and lose flavor and attractive color after being dried (2). Traditional medicinal uses of these chives include treating intestinal parasites, boosting immune systems, promote good digestion and even cure anemia. All parts of the chives plant contain low but still notable levels of sulfides, which are normally harmless to humans unless they are sensitive to them. In people sensitive to sulfides, however, it normally causes various types of digestive upset, from indigestion, nausea, and vomiting to painful colic.Taking too much chive can cause an upset stomach. When applied to the skin: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if chive is safe when applied to the skin. It might cause side effects such as allergic skin reactions in some people.Dietary considerations. Chives are not a common source of food allergies, though people with allergies or intolerances to onions or other allium vegetables may also need to avoid chives. People with food allergies may wish to talk to their doctor before adding chives to their diet.
What not to plant next to garlic chives?
Companion Planting – What NOT To Plant Together Beans: Don’t plant near chives, garlic, leeks, onions, peppers, marigolds Peas: Don’t plant near chives, garlic, leeks, onions, peppers Broccoli and Cauliflower: Don’t plant near peppers, squash, strawberries, tomatoes Tomatoes: Don’t plant near broccoli, cauliflower, . Although most plants grow well with chives, there are a few that do not. Poor companions include asparagus, beans, peas, and spinach, which all require very rich soil for good growth. Chives will compete with these plants for moisture and nutrients, and in the case of asparagus, chives may severely stunt its growth.Well, there’s really no harm in letting your chives bloom, but your harvest might get smaller if you do. Most plants will produce smaller leaves when there are flowers too.
What are the benefits of eating garlic flowers?
As you may have already guessed, the scape doesn’t just mimic its bulbous counterpart’s flavor. It also shares many of the same nutritional benefits as garlic. Garlic scapes are a great source of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and selenium. Use scapes just as you would garlic, finely chopped (though not necessarily minced as you typically would with garlic) and sautéed in butter or olive oil. Make a summary sauté with scapes, zucchini, onions, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes—any of your favorite summer vegetables.