Swiss chard is one of those vegetables you struggle to find in the supermarket but that’s easy to grow at home. If you’ve grown a little too much of it, what do you do with that abundance of chard?
Can You Freeze Swiss Chard?
Yes, you can freeze swiss chard for up to 6 months. The best way to do this is to remove the stalks, and then briefly boil the leaves. Chill them in iced water, and then pat dry. Portion the chard out into freezer bags before removing excess air, and freezing.
Do Does Swiss Chard freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Swiss Chard? Yes
How to Freeze Swiss Chard
Freezing swiss chard is very simple; it’s just like freezing any other leafy green! Follow our instructions to preserve the greens for a long time:
- Remove Stalks: Removing the tough stalks from swiss chard and other leafy greens ensures they will freeze consistently throughout the whole leaf. This means they can then be relied upon to have a consistent texture, which is ideal for a tasty leaf.
- Blanch: Blanching the leaves is simple – place them into a pot of rapidly boiling water and boil them for a minute or two. Transfer the wilted leaves into iced water, allowing them to chill.
- Pat Dry and Portion: Once the leaves are chilled, pat them dry with a tea towel or paper towels, then portion them into freezer bags. We recommend portioning as it will allow you to ensure you don’t waste food – you’ll only thaw the chard you’re going to use.
- Seal and Freeze: Seal the bags up tightly, pressing out excess air where possible to prevent freezer burn from setting in. Then, transfer the sealed bags into the centre of your freezer, where the chard will freeze well away from any level of frost front that forms at the edge of the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Swiss Chard
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing swiss chard to have the best results:
Freeze With Other Veggies
When you’re freezing your chard, consider prepping some other veggies at the same time, such as spinach and bok choi. These combinations will leave you with a pleasant range of different tasty items that you can easily thaw and eat in no time at all.
Freeze In Steamer Bags
Steamer bags are often available from supermarkets and can quickly steam frozen food in the microwave. Consider freezing portions of chard in these bags; that way you can place the bags directly into the microwave and start them working.
Don’t Underblanch
When balancing your swiss chard, it’s better to boil it for too long than to boil it for too short a time. This is because the swiss chard is quite tough, and overboiling it will likely result in a more pleasant final texture than underboiling it.
How Long Can You Freeze Swiss Chard?
You can freeze swiss chard for around 6 months before you notice any kind of degradation of texture over time.
The main reason for a decrease in texture will be freezer burn, which does tend to come for everything in your freezer, given enough time.
When kept in a plastic bag or container, swiss chard will keep for around 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Swiss Chard?
You can defrost swiss chard easily in a pot of boiling water.
Add the chard, and you should see it rapidly thaw and cook – it’s ready to eat when it’s tender, as with any vegetable. That’s right.. No need to actually defrost it beforehand!
Can You Refreeze Swiss Chard?
Yes, you can refreeze swiss chard. The best way to do this is to follow the steps that we’ve laid out above.
If you’ve already blanched the swiss chard, it does not need to be blanched again. Simply pat it dry and place it in a freezer bag for storage.
Does Swiss Chard Freeze Well?
Yes, swiss chard does freeze well, as most tough leafy greens do.
The main reason for this is that they’re pretty fibrous, which allows them to stand up to frost well and not get damaged.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing swiss chard or chard in general, then these may help:
Yes, rainbow chard (and chard of all varieties) can be frozen for around 6 months in an airtight freezer bag, once blanched and dried.
Although it is possible to freeze cooked swiss chard, you will find that when you thaw and reheat it that it then becomes overcooked. Instead, only blanch it if you’re freezing it.
Sources
We have verified the information on this page using the following resources:
