Capers from chives, Fiefhusen style

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• n. B. buds (chive flower buds)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fruit vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar or the equivalent amount of sweetener
• Sea salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 1 pinch of mustard, medium hot

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest period approx. 14 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 minutes; Total time approx. 14 days 20 minutes

As a crowning touch to the salad, chives and capers are delicious, light and a visual hit

When the chives bloom in your garden, snip off the delicate, still-closed blossoms along with a short piece of the stem and collect them. Rinse the buds briefly but thoroughly under cold water. Depending on the number of blossoms, you will need a jar with a screw lid. Rinse the jar and lid with boiling water. Make an infusion from the oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Place the listed ingredients in a saucepan and stir thoroughly with a whisk. The mustard acts as an emulsifier. If you like a mustard flavor, you can increase the amount slightly. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cool to about 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. Season the infusion to your liking. If you have collected a lot of blossoms, simply multiply the list of ingredients for the infusion. Place the blossoms in the jar and pour the warm infusion over them. Close the jar tightly, leave the lid on for five minutes, and then turn it upside down. Then open the jar very briefly and immediately close the lid tightly again. Place the jar in the refrigerator for at least 14 days. Whenever you remember, turn the jar upside down and place it back in the refrigerator, but at least every two days. After two weeks, you can use the chive-capers. If refrigerated well and quickly resealed, the chive-capers will keep much, much longer. An old myth is that chives in the garden are no longer edible once flowers form at the tips. The chives themselves simply become a little coarser, but are just as digestible as before they bloomed. Real capers are also pickled, closed flowers of the caper bush. Real capers are polarizing: you either love them or hate them. My chive-capers are a hit with everyone, thanks to their sweet and sour leek flavor. They also make a real surprise, for example, on salads, pizzas, or sauces.