How To Freeze Swiss Chard Food

5 WAYS TO PREPARE AND COOK SWISS CHARD - WIKIHOW

Steps:

• Choose a healthy Swiss chard. To choose your Swiss chard, you should look for leaves that are bright and bushy, not browned, wilted, or damaged. The stems of Swiss Chard are delicate so you should look for stems that are firm and unbruised. Though there are a variety of Swiss chard forms, any type of shard should look healthy, full, buoyant, and not wilted or droopy.
• Choose from a variety of Swiss chard. There are several varieties of Swiss chard. Their ribs, which are the parts of the stems that extend up into the leaves, can be red, white, or yellow. The varieties have different tastes, so experiment to find which kind you prefer. Swiss chard with red ribs is often a little sweeter, with less bitter undertone than Swiss chard with white ribs. All the varieties of chard can be prepared the same way, but they can have a different flavor. The ribs of different varieties of Swiss chard are different widths. Some people prefer the ribs of the Swiss chard and some like the leaves best. If you prefer the ribs, choose Swiss chard with wide ribs. If you like the leaves best, choose Swiss chard with thinner ribs.
• Wash the chard. Before you cook the chard, you'll need to wash it. The first thing you should do is wash it well, by rinsing it in a sink full of cold water. You can even drain the water and repeat, unless the chard is free of dirt. If you got the chard at a farmers' market, it will be extra fresh and more likely to have dirt on it, so wash thoroughly. Don't wash the chard until right before you're going to cook it, or it will wilt.
• Decide whether to separate the chard or leave it whole. Small leaves of Swiss chard can be left whole or added to salad, and larger leaves with thin ribs can also be left whole for cooking. But if you're cooking Swiss chard with thick ribs, then you should separate the ribs from the leaves by tearing the leaves away from the ribs, because the ribs will need to cook for a few more minutes since they are tougher than the leaves.

FREEZING SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Wash chard.
• Loosely chop into ribbons.
• Fill a bowl halfway with ice water. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan bring water to a boil. Add chard and cook for 2 minutes.
• Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove chard and add to the ice water. Chill for 3 minutes.
• Transfer chilled chard to a strainer and allow it to drain.
• Squeeze excess water out of the chard (I squeeze portions in my hand over the strainer).
• Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment, waxed paper, or a silpat.
• Freeze for 3 hours. Transfer to freezer bags once chard has frozen solid.

HOW TO FREEZE FRESH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Wash the chard and trip the stems off (I save the stems and then cut them up, blanch, and freeze them as well).
• Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil (to blanch your greens).
• Grab a large bowl and fill it with cold water and ice (after you blanch the greens, you want to immediately put them in an ice bath to stop further cooking).
• While you're waiting for the water to boil, cut or tear the chard into bite-size pieces.
• When the water has come to a boil, drop the greens into the pot (you might have to do this in a couple of batches, depending on how much you have).
• Blanch the greens for 2-3 minutes. Since vegetables (and fruits) have bacteria and enzymes that can destroy nutrients and break down the vegetables over a period of time, this is an important step. Don't skip it!
• Remove from water and immediately put in the ice bath - I usually cool them for 3-5 minutes.
• Remove from the ice bath and place in a colander to let some of the water drain out. The less water in the leaves, the less ice crystals you'll end up with once frozen.
• Now you can bag the greens. I use a vacuum sealer. I find that it helps preserve the vegetables longer. If you don't have access to a vacuum sealer, you can use freezer bags with a zipper, just make sure you squeeze all of the air out before sealing. Or, you can also place a straw partway into the bag and then seal the bag to the straw, suck the air out, pinch the straw and finish zipping the bag as you pull the straw out.
• Label them, toss them in the freezer, and you're done!

SAUTEED SWISS CHARD (DON'T BE AFRAID!!!)

Steps:

• Melt butter and oil in heavy large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper.
• Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add swiss chard; stir to coat.
• Cover and cook until tender (stirring occasionally) about 8 minutes.
• Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon onto chard.
• Season to taste with salt.
• Enjoy!

HOW TO FREEZE SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Properly rinse both the leaves and the stems under cold running water. An additional step to this method includes filling a sink or large bowl with cold water and allowing the chard to soak for a good 10 minutes.
• Prepare a bowl of ice water large enough for your chard pieces to submerge in.
• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
• Add the Swiss chard stalks and blanch for 3 minutes.
• Remove and plunge chard stems in the bowl of ice water. This immediately stops the cooking process.
• Transfer to a colander to drain.
• Next, repeat the same process with the chard leaves but blanch for only one to two minutes.
• Use your hands to squeeze the excess moisture gently. As an alternative, use a potato ricer to squeeze out the excess water. There is no need to separate the stalks from the leaves.
• Place in resealable ziplock bags.
• Use a straw or a sealer to remove as much air as possible. This, in turn, will reduce the formation of ice crystals.
• Properly label your bags by indicating the date and place your bag in the freezer.