If you know a child who doesn’t like vegetables, then I have a well-meaning trick for you! You’re going to make Pink Chive Blossom Drizzle together. Then, as the herb-infused vinegar steeps for a few weeks, you’re going to occasionally talk up the drizzle.
Say:
- “It’s so special because we can only make it once a year, when the chives have flowers.”
- “Ooooh, did you check the jar in the back of the fridge? The vinegar is turning a nice pink color!”
- “Gee, I can’t wait to try our Pink Chive Blossom Drizzle! Can you?!”
After a few weeks, have an uncapping-of-the-vinegar event. Dip a fork into The Drizzle and see how it tastes. Now, make something to use on vegetables: salad dressing, tomato salad, slaw, marinate mushrooms, pasta salad, sautéed carrots, grilled peppers or, if you dare, roasted Brussels sprouts.
Did it work? I bet it did! When you involve a kid in the harvesting, making, food preparation and taste-testing, then it’s a lot more difficult for them to turn up their nose without trying it first.
Tamawi’s Tip: This technique works particularly well for children between the ages of three and six. Even if you don’t like eating something, play it up big time and make each step an occasion so the child can’t help but be invested.
What You Need:
- 1 cup fresh chive blossoms
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar
(you can substitute a clear vinegar of your choice)
- Half-pint glass canning jar
, sterilized
(you can substitute a clear vinegar of your choice)
, sterilizedTime: 20 minutes
Directions
Step 1
Snip off the purple flowers from your chive plant when they are fully open, but before they start turning brown.
Step 2
Submerge the blossoms in water and swish them around to remove dirt or tiny stowaway insects.
Step 3
Drain the flowers on a paper towel, and then stuff them into the sterilized jar. It’s okay if the flowers get bruised and slightly busted.
Step 4
Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and heat until just before it boils.
Step 5
Pour the vinegar into the jar until the chive blossoms are submerged.
Step 6
Leave the top off the jar and allow it to cool.
Step 7
Screw on the lid and store the herb-infused vinegar in the back of the fridge for 2-3 weeks. You’ll start to see a nice blush pink color forming immediately.
Step 8
Remove the lid, taste-test your vinegar, then pour it into a decanter or jar that will show off the natural pink color.
How did you rate your chive-infused vinegar when you taste-tested it? Let us know in the comments below!
Explanation
Making an infusion is a simple chemical process you can easily try at home. An infusion is created by extracting flavors from an edible plant material into vinegar, water, oil or alcohol. The vinegar, water, oil or alcohol is called a solvent, which means it can dissolve other substances. In this recipe, you dissolved a solute (chive blossoms) into a solvent (vinegar), and made a solution (pink drizzle)!
Solute + Solvent = Solution
Another common example of an infusion, that I make daily, is tea! Can you think of other infusions?
Looking for more natural-based plant dye projects? Try dyeing eggs. Or use food dye to turn celery and carnations different colors.