April showers bring May (chive blossom) flowers. Or something like that.

Come spring, I’m completely obsessed with chive blossoms. I love to sprinkle them over just about everything — salads, soups/stews, pasta, risotto, you name it. They have a mild onion-y flavor and add a vibrant pop of purple to a myriad of dishes.

With minimal effort you can also prepare a simple, spring-inspired, flavorful chive blossom-infused vinegar. All you need is vinegar of your choice (I like white wine vinegar), some chive blossoms and a bit of patience. You’ll need to let the chive blossoms infuse in the vinegar for about two weeks, after which the vinegar will take on a lovely pink hue and mild chive essence.

From there, you can use the chive blossom vinegar for your favorite salad vinaigrette recipe. I like to keep it simple: extra virgin olive oil, chive blossom vinegar, a hint of dijon or grainy mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk well and toss with an assortment of seasonal greens and serve.

Have you made chive blossom vinegar? What do you like to do with it?

The season for chive blossoms is relatively short, May through June. So, be sure to procure some — from your garden or local farmers market — before they’re gone.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

Around 1 cup loosely packed chive blossoms
1 1/2 cups vinegar (white wine vinegar is nice)

Pick chive blossoms when they are bright purple and fully opened. Loosely pack them into a clean (pint-sized) jar.

Pour the vinegar over the chive blossoms until they are completely immersed in the liquid. White wine or champagne vinegar works well with onion-y flavors. Stir the chives down into the vinegar with a spoon or chopstick.

Tightly cover the jar and store at room temperature away from direct light or heat for 2 weeks.

Strain the vinegar into a clean glass bottle, discarding the chive blossoms.