So I spent most of yesterday building one of those straw umbrellas. You know the type. You see them in the Caribbean or outside on the patios of your local Hooters bars. They're classy things.
I made mine out of Swiss Chard.
I've also fashioned 17 leisure suits, a hammock, 3 pup tents and a sort of wobbly fishing pole out of the stuff.
I have a lot of Swiss Chard.
If these were the olden days they would call me "Scurvy Sue" because people would walk for miles to get my Swiss Chard to prevent scurvy. As it is, they just call me Karen. That insane woman on the corner who lost countless gardening tools and 3 cats to the Swiss Chard patch. There might be a toddler in there too; I saw movement ... but it could very well just be another cat. Either way it's making some God awful sounds.
All this and I still have enough Swiss Chard to choke a dinosaur. One of those ones with the really long necks.
I have therefore taken to freezing my Swiss Chard so I can enjoy it in the winter, when I don't hate it so much. It's easy to do ... way easier than canning, and doesn't take much time at all.
All you have to do is blanch them (plunge in boiling water) then cool them.
I know a lot of you are thinking "But ... I freeze stuff all the time without blanching it, and it's fine". And you're right. It's fine. You know what else is fine? A store bought cookie. But does it compare to a warm, gooey, crisp around the edges homemade cookie? No. No it does not.
You need to blanch because blanching stops enzymes in their tracks. Or at least slows them down. Enzymes are live and unless you stop them from doing what they do your vegetables will lose their flavour, colour and texture. Boiling the vegetable for a couple of minutes slows down/stops the enzymes from working. So you get brighter, tastier, better textured frozen vegetables.
The same process can be used for most greens like Kale, green beans, Spinach, Collard Greens and more.
It's as simple as this ...
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How to Freeze Greens
Gather your greens.
Wash them.
Prep them (take tips off of green beans, slice stems out of Kale, Swiss Chard etc.)
Plunge them in boiling water for 2 minutes. (3 minutes for Collard Greens)
Plunge them in ice water for the same amount of time.
Form them into bundles and freeze them. (either in baggies or with your Foodsaver)
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Pick em.
Plunk em.
Cut the stems out of em.
Blanch em. (for 2 minutes)
Ice Bath em. (for 2 minutes)
Bundle em ... then bag em.
I know. Just like little Swiss brains.
And remember, even if you don't grow any of this stuff you can still use this technique with fresh produce from farmer's markets or roadside stands. You're way better off to freeze that stuff than to buy and eat the fresh imported stuff in the winter.
If you own a Foodaver (and you really should) you know that Foodsavering watery items is a struggle. The vacuum sucks up the water and the bag doesn't get a good seal on it.
A trick for using the Foodsaver with items like this with a really high moisture content is to freeze the bundles first and then Foodsaver them.
I do this freezing thing every so often with my green beans, beet tops and Swiss Chard. Great results with not a lot of time or effort.
Unlike the patio umbrella.
Michaela {au naturel design}
Great tips! I get CSA veggies every week and sometimes don't know what to do with everything. I've frozen herbs before, but never greens. Thanks so much!
Kelly
Okay, okay, you have now convinced me to give it a try. I love Swiss Chard and have a lot. But I don't like fiddling around, blanching, cooling. Lets just pick, rinse, bag and throw in the freezer. Your pictures make it look relatively easy. Thanks.
Amanda Pedro
You can use Chard in Caldo Vere also. Here's Canadian Living's rendition.
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/caldo_verde.php
We just boil potatoes until mushy, throw in the greens (BTW, they have to be thinly sliced. We roll a few leaves together and thinly slice on the cutting board. Very thin. Thinner than you think)
At the table you can add the chorizo and olive oil. Sometimes, we slice the chorizo and toast it in the toaster oven before adding to the soup.
Just in case you need a new way to digest them.
jackie
I do this with my fabulous kale, but swiss chard, to me, tastes like snot. Some love it, but I couldn't be bothered to freeze snot yech! Still, I ended up throwing out all the turnip greens (mistake to freeze in the first place) and my beloved kale because defrosted greens just didn't appeal all winter. I had to buy em instead fresh, only way I'd eat them. Whoops!
White
I'm wondering why you "bundle" the chard. I make flat stacks. Makes better use of freezer space, and the stacks can be cut up to suitable size/shape while still frozen. Thus, you can easily get very thin ribbons if desired. Just seems to give more options for how to use that bounty.
Karen
White - I bundle it into servings of 2. I don't ever slice my chard into thin ribbons so it works for me. I sautee the whole leaves. I also bundle it because it allows me to squeeze a tiny bit of the water out of it. I just gather up into my palms, squish it a bit then lay it down. But if you want to make flat stacks because that works better for you, go to it! :) ~ karen
Brit
You need chickens. . .chickens LOVE chard. :)
Karen
Brit ... https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/the-coop https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/will-they-eat-it-episode-4/ :) ~ karen
Brit
I'm laughing. . .loved the videos and what a GREAT coop! Thank YOU!
Ruth
Is it weird that I really want to see the patio umbrella? :D
By the way, I tried buying seeds from your friend at Cubits to send to a friend who was coming here from Toronto, and PayPal kept switching the shipping address to match my billing address, so I gave up and never did get my seeds (If I have to pay for shipping, I will have to purchase far less seeds... yes, the budget demands it). I did try contacting the owner, but I never did get a response. :((((((
Karen
Huh. That's odd. Laura's usually really good about replying. However in the past few months 2 things have happened. Her barn blew apart and she gave birth. At least I think she gave birth. Could have been one of those two things that interfered. I'll email her and make sure she got your email. ~ karen
Ruth
Okay. I used the 'Contact' form on the website. Are the seeds only available online or does she have a shop where folk can just pick up stuff?
Giving birth (as well as the resulting cuteness overdose) may very well be the intervening factor. A barn explosion can't possibly compete.... :)
Karen
She sells her seeds at markets, but just in Toronto. ~ k!
JeanB
Collards are sweeter if you let the first frost hit them. (My daddy taught me that!)
Ann
Oh, I still forgot something. I have one of those jar adapters that let me vacuum out the air from jars. So I do that just the same as I would have with the bags. Also, you could prefreeze anything watery. I also find the jars stack nicely in my freezer and can be thawed nicely in a bowl of cold water if you are in a hurry to use them. Cause most of the time, I forget to get my veggies out the freezer before I need them and always seem to need to thaw them fast.
Karen
LOL! Answered my question. I have that same device on my Foodsaver! Good idea. Can't wait to try it with the rest of my beet tops! Never would have thought to freeze my greens in a jar. Thx. ~ karen
Ann
Oh, Oh, I get to be the first and the second poster today!!
I forgot to mention, I rarely vacuum freeze in bags anymore. I use the freezable glass mason jars. Filling a 2 cup one gives me just the right amount of veggies for DH and I for one meal.
Now they have come up with a 3 cup version of the mason jar, perfect for asparagus, long green beans or just something you want a little more of. I am in love with the shape of that jar and bought 2 cases already.
But freezing in jars helps eliminate using the plastic bags that are only good for one use which is just a very small way in which I help save the planet!!
Karen
Ann - With all the air in there don't things like greens get freezer burned though? I use jars for sauces and stuff in the freezer, but always foodsaver meat and veg. so they don't get freezer burn. ~ k!
Ann
Great thought on the prefreezing watery items before vacuum sealing. Thanks for thinking of that one, Karen.
Boy, I wish I liked Swiss Chard. But I do love Kale so I guess that counts. I have gotta get my seeds in the ground right now if I want to have some late this fall and winter.
ev
How will those brainy bundles be used? I have to say I thought Swiss chard was only good fresh. Soups I guess. We have grown chard in years past--will give it another try. Thanks, Karen
Karen
ev - I use it in soups and sautée it in butter and olive oil then add shaved parmesan cheese on top at the end. ~ karen!
Esther
i just made swiss chard and potato soup. To die for. So easy. And I'll be able to make it with all my frozen packets
Kim Merry
Oh and totally off subject but I was watching the Cross fit games on tv last night, very entertaining!!!! I have never seen so many muscles in one place!!!
Mary Kay
Thanks Karen for the tip at the end - freeze your watery veggies then use the Foodsaver. We did broccoli one year and had a heck of time getting a good seal. Will definetly do this next time!!!
Karen
Mary Kay - Works like a charm! ~ karen
Kim Merry
I have never tried Swiss chard. How do you use it?
Karen
Kim - In soups or sautéed is how I use it. Like spinach. ~ karen!
Amie Mason
I use mine in omelets for lunch, or with ricotta & leek for home made a tortellini! Bust out that pasta machine Karen!
Karen
LOL, I *love* making pasta!! I think 'cause it's so easy and the results are so good! I still prefer dry spaghetti tho for some reason. ~ k!
Annie
What is a food saver?
( don't laugh)
A
Karen
Annie - Lookee here ... https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-use-a-foodsaver/ ~ karen!
my honest answer
Oooh, we need to see a Foodsaver in action! I feel a video coming on Karen.
Karen
my honest answer - How to use a foodsaver was one of the *very* first posts I did! Here you go ... https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-use-a-foodsaver/ ~ karen
Sue T.
Hey Karen, Just curious but do you not eat the stems? I enjoy them as much as the leafy part.
Karen
Sue - Not when they get to this size. Way too tough and bitter. The leaves are fine, but I cut out the stems. I also like using just the stems because then you can cook it all in one batch. If you use the stems then you have to add those first to cook them longer, then add the leaves. I only like the stems if they're thin. ~ karen!
Ruth
You could split the stems to make them thinner. Just a thought... but what do I know? No one grows chard here.
I would have been the first to do so if I had gotten my seeds (see my comment below), but now my trailblazing will have to wait until my budget will agree with me.
Judith
I myself am a new convert to blanching - before that I was in the "never done it before and it's been fine" group. But I've seen the light! The veggies really do look and taste better, and I guess they've kept more of their nutrients too.
gloria
What did you think you were going to do with that weenie little basket in photo one? A wheelbarrow is what you need for that gargantuan stuff. And yes it does look like Swiss brains, not that I've ever inspected any, but I can imagine. Or maybe some new green version of pod people.