Fancy mastering the art of freezing Swiss Chard? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here, you’ll learn not just how to flash freeze the humble veggie, but also find out what a Swiss Chard looks like (spoiler alert – it looks like… a giant chard!). So, let’s get started!
Contents
Fishing Out the Swiss Chard
Step One: Knowing What to Look for
Before freezing Swiss Chard, it is obviously important to search one out – and for that, you’ll need to know what to look for. A Swiss Chard is a dark-leafed vegetable, with a vibrant underside, and is related to beets, spinach and quinoa. They are usually easily found in most grocery stores, though if you’re lucky enough to have any growing in your garden, you could skip this step! Let’s move on…
Step Two: Washing the Leaves
Though you may have bought your Swiss Chard in a pristine, sealed bag, it will have been perching in the store for a number of days – and is in need of a good wash! To wash your Swiss Chard, fill a large bowl with cold water, and gently swish the leaves in the water. DO NOT DRY THE LEAVES AT THIS STAGE. Instead, move straight to step three!
Preparing the Swiss Chard for Freezing
Step Three: Removing the Stems
It’s now time to prepare your Swiss Chard for freezing – which means removing the stems. To do this, grab hold of the stems and firmly pull them away from their leaves. Be prepared – the unexpected leaves are known for making a bid for freedom during this step! Put the leaves aside, ready to be cooked with another day.
Step Four: Blanching the Swiss Chard
Now, it’s time to blanch your Swiss Chard. Heat a saucepan of water to boiling) and place the Swiss Chard leaves in the water for a minute or two. While it’s boiling away, ready a bowl of cool water to blanch your leaves in – you’ll find some frozen vegetables may start singing ‘Frozen’, and you don’t want that kind of chaos in the kitchen.
Step Five: Draining and Drying the Swiss Chard
Once your Swiss Chard has been blanched, it’s time to drain the leaves and pat them dry with a dry towel or absorbent kitchen paper. Make sure you don’t leave any seams and from here your Swiss Chard is ready to be popped into the freezer.
Freezing Swiss Chard
Step Six: Separating the Leaves
Before you can begin to freeze your Swiss Chard, you will need to separate the leaves into smaller portions. This will help to save space in the freezer, and make portioning easier once it comes to cooking with the chard.
Step Seven: Placing the Leaves in the Freezer
Once your leaves are portioned, it is time to place them in the freezer. Ready a freezer-safe tray or container, and place them in layers into this container, making sure not to overcrowd the leaves. Once that is complete, pop the container into the freezer for a short amount of time.
And that is it! After the leaves have been frozen, feel free to either leave them in the same container, or transfer them into sealable freezer bags. This will also help to increase the shelf life of the Swiss Chard. If you make sure to store your veg in this way, you can expect it to last up to eight months in the freezer.
So, there you have it – the step-by-step guide to freezing Swiss Chard! If you are looking for a different way to prepare this healthy food, why not try roasting it? Who knows, you could start a mission to revolutionize the way we think about Swiss Chard!