Can you freeze Swiss chard and other leafy greens?
Learn how to freeze Swiss Chard and other leafy greens so you can preserve your spinach, chard, kale and other garden greens for the winter. The process is simple, and frozen greens take up very little freezer space.
Can you freeze Kale and leafy greens?
Freezing kale and other leafy greens is super simple and will save you money and time, will cut back on food waste, and will enable you to enjoy those fresh nutritious greens all year round! Select fresh, crisp, healthy greens with good color and no blemishes.
Should I separate Swiss chard leaves or stalks?
Separate the stalks from the leaves. This makes it more convenient when you're cooking the chard later since the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves. Also, sometimes you'll only want to use one or the other in a recipe, not both. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and fill a bowl with ice water. Put the Swiss chard in the pot of boiling water.
How do you cut Chard for freezing?
Use a pair of clippers or scissors to cut the stem near where it emerges from the ground. You can freeze the chard stems and leaves together in the same container, or keep them separate if you prefer. Cut the stem off where it meets the leaf. Stack several leaves on top of one another and then chop them into bite size pieces.
Can Swiss chard be frozen without blanching?
If you plan to use the frozen chard within a few weeks, there is no need to blanch it first. But unblanched chard left in the freezer too long will turn brown because of enzyme actions which will change the texture, flavor, and coloring.
Does Swiss chard freeze well?
The good news is, Swiss chard is a hardy green, which makes it suitable for freezing. Of course, you have to prep the greens well prior to freezing to extend its original color and flavor. When prepping the Swiss chard for freezing, you can either blanch the greens or flash-freeze them.
How do you prepare Swiss chard for freezing?
Drop about one pound of whole leaves in boiling water, cover and blanch for 2 minutes (blanch stems for 3 minutes). Remove chard from water and immerse in an ice water bath for 2 minutes. Drain. Pack in zip-closure freezer bags or freezer containers, leaving no headspace.
Can I freeze kale without blanching?
You can freeze kale without blanching, but plan to use it within four to six weeks. Unblanched kale may develop a bitter flavor because you haven't stopped the action of the naturally-occurring ripening enzymes in the leaves.
What can I do with too much Swiss chard?
Revive tired-looking leaves in a bowl of cold water with a splash of vinegar. After 20 minutes or so, the leaves should perk up.
How do you store kale in the freezer?
To freeze the kale, lay the washed kale onto a clean baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Remove it and transfer it to a freezer-friendly bag or container, label it, remove any extra air from the bag and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months!
How do you use frozen chard?
Frozen chard should be used within 6 months. Add it to cooked dishes, like soups, stews, pasta sauces or quiche. You could also use this in your smoothie recipes (though a whole cup might be too much for one smoothie) since it gets blended up.
How do you store Swiss chard long term?
InstructionsWash the Chard. Wash the chard well. ... Separate Stalks From Leaves. Separate the stalks from the leaves. ... Prepare Boiling and Ice Waters. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and fill a bowl with ice water. ... Place Swiss Chard in Boiling Water. ... Plunge Chard in Ice Water. ... Drain Well. ... Prepare for Freezer. ... Freeze.
Can you eat Swiss chard stems?
Swiss Chard is entirely edible, including the leaves and stems. The stems need a little more cooking time than the leaves because they have a lot of cellulose that needs to soften for longer. The leaves cook quickly.
Does kale lose nutritional value when frozen?
Some vitamin C and B vitamins can be lost during the blanching process, but the majority of the nutrients are preserved.
Can fresh chopped kale be frozen?
Any raw kale can be frozen. So the next time you purchase too much at the store, don't let it go to waste. Simply wash, chop, blanch, then flash-freeze your kale to enjoy at a later date. Frozen kale will keep up to one year, and can be used in a number of recipes.
Can I freeze a bag of kale?
You can freeze kale (and bagged spinach), so you can keep it on hand without it getting all gross and stinky in the back of your refrigerator. It's incredibly simple to do, but if you're new to freezing vegetables make sure keep reading to understand how to make the best use of your frozen kale (or spinach).
How do you store Swiss chard long term?
Place the leaves and stems in separate airtight, freezer-safe bags. Remove any air from the bag to prevent the formation of ice crystals that cause freezer burn. (If you don't own a vacuum sealer, you can use a straw to suck out the excess air from the bag.) Freezer bags of Swiss chard will keep for at least a year.
How long do you blanch Swiss chard for freezing?
If you have a large batch to boil, do it in sections to ensure that the greens retain their fresh flavor after freezing. A good ratio is 4 cups of packed greens to a gallon of boiling water. Blanch (boil) Swiss chard stalks for two minutes and the leaves for one minute.
Do you eat the stems of Swiss chard?
Swiss Chard is entirely edible, including the leaves and stems. The stems need a little more cooking time than the leaves because they have a lot of cellulose that needs to soften for longer. The leaves cook quickly.
How do you store Swiss chard?
Do not wash Swiss chard before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place chard in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the chard, squeezing out as much of the air from the bag as possible. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to 5 days.
1. Wash the Greens
Select the tender leaves. Wash carefully in cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Sometimes leaf greens can even have a bug hiding out in its leaves, so rinse more than once if you’re freaked out by insects.
2. Blanch Greens
All leafy greens need be blanched before freezing. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes that would lead to spoilage. Blanching also helps vegetables keep their bright color, flavor, texture, and nutrition! Plus, blanching wilts the leafy greens making them easier to package into freezer safe containers.
3. Plunge into Ice Water
They now need to be cooled down quickly before being placed in freezer bags! Get a large bowl of ice water ready. We mean near-freezing! You need to stop the greens from overcooking or they will lose their vibrant green color.
4. Pack Greens into Freezer Bags
The dried spinach and greens are ready to be placed in freezer bags. For greens, bags are best (versus containers) to remove air to avoid freezer burn. Make sure you get ALL the air out.
1. Strip leaves from stalks
For kale, chard, or greens with thick or tough stalks. Skip this step for spinach or baby greens.
2. Blanch leaves for a few minutes in boiling water
Fill a large cooking pot with water and bring to a boil. Use a steamer basket to submerge leaves in boiling water for about 3 minutes.
3. Immediately plunge leaves into an ice bath
In the meantime, prepare an ice bath. Use a bowl or pot large enough to contain your steamer basket .
4. Drain wet leaves
Lift the basket above the water and give it about 30 seconds to drain excess water into the ice bath. Transfer the basket to an old or dark dish towel. Allow it to drain there for at least a few minutes or even longer.
5. Squeeze as much water as possible from the leaves
When the leaves are finished dripping, tumble them out onto the towel. Use the towel to squeeze the remaining water from the greens.
6. Chop leaves
When you’re satisfied that the leaves are reasonably dry-ish, transfer them to a cutting board and chop into bits.
7. Fill silicone muffin cups with chopped leaves
Squeeze the chopped greens into a muffin tin. I’ve found that silicone baking cups work best because later, you can pop the frozen pucks right out.
Directions for Easily Freezing Swiss Chard
It’s true – you can freeze chard raw! I used to steam it first, but after a tip from a friend, I started freezing it raw.
Containers for Freezer Storage
We’re trying to reduce our overall plastic use in our house. For many of my frozen food items I use wide mouth glass quart, pint and half pint glass canning jars.
How Much Chard to Freeze
I find that a quart-sized amount of frozen swiss chard is one or two servings depending on how I’m using it in a recipe.
Ideas for Using Frozen Chard
I love to use frozen chard in smoothies, soups, stews, and stir-fries throughout the dark winter months. I simply take out a freezer bag and use the whole chunk, or cut off what I want with a knife.
Favorite Recipes for Using Frozen Chard
Learning how to preserve your extra vegetables is only one part of the equation. Once you have that down you can start searching out recipes that highlight the vegetables you’ve put away. That’s the fun part!
How to Blanch Kale and Other Leafy Greens
Whichever kind of leafy green you want to freeze, the process is the same. The only difference will be how long to blanch them as some greens are thicker and more fibrous and some are very tender.
How to Freeze Kale and Other Leafy Greens
After you’ve blanched and cooled the greens in the ice water and drained them, give them a thorough squeeze to get as much water out of them as you can. Now it’s time to pack them for freezing.
Does Freezing Kill the Nutrients in Leafy Greens?
A good amount of research has been done comparing the nutrient levels in frozen versus fresh vegetables and the conclusion is that many of the minerals and vitamins are not easily destroyed by either the blanching or the freezing process. In short, your frozen leafy greens are still loaded with nutrients!
Do You Have to Blanch Kale to Freeze It?
Yes and no. If you want to store your frozen leafy greens for several months they need to be blanched first. While you can freeze kale and other leafy greens raw they will only keep for a month to month and a half before the texture, color and flavor all start to deteriorate.
How Long Do Frozen Leafy Greens Last?
Prepared properly your leafy greens will keep for 8 to 12 months in the freezer.
How to Freeze Kale and Other Leafy Greens
Freezing kale and other leafy greens is super simple and will save you money and time, will cut back on food waste, and will enable you to enjoy those fresh nutritious greens all year round!
Freezing Raw Versus Boiled: Oxalic Acid Considerations
Freezing greens raw is by far the quicker solution. The raw greens are easy to pop into a soup or stir fry later and will cook quickly. This strategy would be ideal if it were not for the oxalic acid in the greens themselves.
Freezing Greens Raw
Freezing greens raw is extremely simple. If you fear that your store-bought greens are headed to green mush and you are pressed for time, this is a great strategy. Simply do the following:
Freezing Greens Boiled
This is actually my preferred method for high oxalate greens because I end up with quart-sized baggies of cooked greens, enough to add great nutrition to soup, already boiled and ready to use.
Freezing Greens (Cooked)
You can freeze greens raw or cooked. Here is your option for cooked greens.
Separate Stalks From Leaves
Separate the stalks from the leaves. This makes it more convenient when you're cooking the chard later since the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves. Also, sometimes you'll only want to use one or the other in a recipe, not both.
Place Swiss Chard in Boiling Water
Put the Swiss chard in the pot of boiling water. If you have a large batch to boil, do it in sections to ensure that the greens retain their fresh flavor after freezing. A good ratio is 4 cups of packed greens to a gallon of boiling water. Blanch (boil) Swiss chard stalks for two minutes and the leaves for one minute.
Plunge Chard in Ice Water
Place them in the ice water immediately after blanching to stop the cooking process.
Prepare for Freezer
Put the stalks and leaves in separate freezer bags or other freezer-safe containers. Remove as much air from the bag as possible. You may want to use vacuum-sealed bags or, if those are unavailable, you can actually suck the air out of a ziplock bag. To do this, zip the top of the bag closed except for enough space to insert a straw.