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Friday 21 June 2013

Everyone Needs A Clump Of Chives!

If you have a black thumb and can't grow a single thing, you can still grow chives.  All they need is a bit of dirt, some sun and water.  They'll grow on patios, balconies and window sills.  They live happily in the flower garden and will even keep aphids and black spot away from your rose bushes.


I've been doing a little research into foods our ancestors ate and why they put the effort and time into growing certain plants and herbs.  The pioneer woman who first lived in this house didn't have time or energy left to grow something just for a pretty garnish on her potatoes.  The nutritional value of chives completely stunned me!  This herb from the allium (onion) family is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals.

Calcium, zinc, manganese, copper, iron, vitamins C, K, B complex, AZ, and A are all found in amazing quantities in chives.  Everything from bone health to fetal development, neuro damage repair to cardio health are enhanced by getting a good supply of the nutrients in chives.  Check out the information at Power Your Diet and you won't look at chives as something to sprinkle on a baked potato any more!

I started hunting up some ways to use them and, since the plant blooms in June in my neck of the woods, wanted to use the blossoms.  They have the mild onion taste of the leaves, with a pepper kick to them.

I gathered some blossoms and shook them off to make sure there weren't any creepies hiding in there. You could wash them but I don't bother when it comes from my own pesticide free garden. ~



This is a fun project to do with the kids.  Fill a jar with chive blossoms. ~


Pour in natural vinegar to cover.  Always go with natural for cooking.  It costs about a dollar more for 4 litres but the other stuff is mostly chemicals.  ~


The kids will love seeing the vinegar turn a pretty shade of purple within a couple of days. ~


What you have is a wonderful, flavoured vinegar that tastes peppery and smells like onion.  Mix one part flavoured vinegar to two parts olive oil for a terrific salad dressing.  I add chopped basil and a bit of sea salt to my dressing.

While they are in bloom, I'm separating the blossoms and sprinkling them on any food that I'd usually put pepper on. I'm also freezing some, first on cookie sheets, then in bags for winter use. ~


Did I mention that studies show chives can reduce the chance of prostate cancer by 50%?  Or, that you can lower blood pressure, boost your immune system, reduce cholesterol production, increase liver function, prevent anemia, break down clots in blood vessels, prevent lung and oral cavity cancers and bolster oxygen levels with the nutrients in chives?

Those pioneers were some smart cookies! ~



I'm sharing this with:  A Favorite ThingFrom The FarmNifty Thrifty TuesdayFrom The Farm Blog Hop







25 comments:

  1. I just love the look of my chive/vinegar sitting on m- y kitchen window sill. Now to try it out on my salad. Thanks for the tip. I've started putting them on and/or in everything I can think of. Keep up the good health!
    Lynn - www.etsy.com/shop/2becherished

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  2. Awesome posting! I did not know all that info and I have a TON of chives in my garden. What about the scapes...before they flower? I know someone who does something with them, but can't remember what? Did you find out anything about that? If I discover anything, I'll let you know! xo wendy

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    1. The scapes (leaves) are effective when they are cut or crushed. It releases the sulpher. It seems they hold their value even when cooked. Chive biscuits here I come!

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  3. I love chives, they grow randomly in my garden and along the roadside on some of the walks where I take my dog, but I've never been lucky enough to have them flowering. I love those pretty flowers, a bit like Armeria (something else I've had trouble growing).
    Anyway, I just go into the garden with some scissors, grab a small bunch and chop into salads - they're especially good in potato salad.

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  4. I am completely blown away by all that you get from them. Amazing. I grow them in my little herb section in the yard. I love the taste of them in salads and stir-fry. Love the vinegar idea.

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  5. I use chives in almost all my recipes - love love love them - but never grew them
    What gorgeous flowers they have - never knew they were loaded with so much goodness !!!
    xxx

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  6. Thanks for all the info on chives. I'd love to try the vinegar recipe.

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  7. Love chives, what a neat way of changing things up, this will be my next project. Love it.

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  8. Oh love chives, we grow them best thing in the world baby potatoes chives and butter...yummm, I mean pure health addict food

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  9. I love the chives in a jar idea! Learn something new every day! :)

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  10. You just sent me running to my pantry to check out my vinegar to see if it had chemicals! Whew...all natural! This is brilliant and I have wild chives growing in my field right now. I'm going to have to see if they taste peppery!

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  11. I love chives in a salad and in omelettes. I have never thought of doing this though...great idea. I just love the look!

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  12. I've never seen such a thing!
    Bliss

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  13. I love chives and have a pot of them on my patio...love the idea with the vinegar, although I didn't know about the "natural" vinegar thing. Just one more thing to change in my kitchen! Thanks for the info! Cathy

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  14. Well that explains it, I was so proud of being able to grow chives in my garden...Guess it was my black thumb LOL! Oh your jar of flavored vinegar is fabulous!! and with oil and dressing, I can taste it now!

    Carol

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  15. Beautiful photos, Maureen! I count on my chives to make a pretty and reliable border around the rest of my herb bed. They don't flower quite as abundantly as yours, so you must be talking nice to them. I did not know what a nutritional powerhouse they were. The chive vinegar makes a nice gift, especially in a lovely jar like yours.

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  16. First of all, who knew that chives were packed full of nutrients? Planting them is such a great idea - my mom used to have chives - it's time I did!

    Thanks so much for joining in this week.

    xo
    Claudia

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  17. What a pretty jar - and the vinegar sounds delicious. I know what I want to plant next spring :-)

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  18. Beautiful, Maurene ... I wish my chives looked like that !!! Mine have white blooms and they are all over the place ... just can't get rid of them. Maybe I should pick the blooms and make some flavored vinegar. I need to check my vinegar to be sure it is natural. Thanks for the tip.
    Hugs,
    Audrey Z.

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  19. Wow, Maureen...this is really cool. I love flavored vinegars, and I think they make the best salad dressings!

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  20. What an interesting post. We use a great deal of chives but had no idea they were so healthy as well as tasty. I am going to try the vinegar recipe. Have you noticed how the leaves of different varieties come in different sizes, some are very fine, other coarser,

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  21. love this post, super informative!!! I am growing some chives at the moment, however I think it might be time to plant some more :)

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  22. I have always loved chives and use a lot of them in cooking but I had no idea they are GOOD FOR YOU...lol...I just like them for the taste! xo Diana

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  23. I love chives! We have wild ones growing here and we can smell them when we walk by them. Pure heaven! I never knew you could freeze them, or that they're so good for you. I'm going to try that salad dressing for sure.

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  24. I love chives! They go to seed super quick here in our heat but I used to love them sprinkled on top of a stir fry or savory salad!

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