How to Preserve Swiss Chard

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 30, 2020 References Tested

Swiss chard is a nutrient-rich green that pairs well with almost any meal. Whether you harvest your own chard or always want to have some on hand, there are ways to preserve chard to increase the time you have to use it. By knowing the proper ways to preserve your chard through freezing, refrigerating, and canning, you can improve the life of your Swiss chard.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Freezing Your Swiss Chard

1
Rinse your Swiss chard with cold water. Rinsing your chard before freezing will remove any lingering dirt, debris, or bugs. It is important only to rinse your Swiss chard under cold water to prevent the leaves from wilting.^{[1]
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- Chopping your chard into smaller pieces is always an option after washing. This makes it easier to work with before you freeze it.
2
Boil a large pot of water. There is not a specific amount of water you will need to boil. Just make sure that you have enough water to submerge your chard completely. If you do not have a large enough pot, you can blanch the chard in smaller amounts by repeating this process.^{[2]
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- Do not add salt or other seasonings to the water.
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3
Add your chard to the hot water and simmer for 30 seconds. Position your chard underwater by using a pair of tongs or a large spoon. Do not pack the chard too tight, as it needs room to circulate the pot.^{[3]
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- If you're working with a larger batch, simmer smaller amounts of chard at a time. Do this process in a couple of rounds to ensure you are thoroughly blanching your Swiss chard.
- Make sure to monitor the heat. As you add in more chard, the temperature of the water will decrease. Keep your pot covered or continue to turn up the heat to maintain a simmer.
4
Use tongs to move your chard directly into an ice bath. After your greens have simmered for 30 seconds, transfer the chard into a large bowl of ice water. The water needs to be as cold as you can get it without it being frozen. Do not simply use water from the faucet, as that will not be cold enough.^{[4]
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5
Allow your chard to sit for 2-3 minutes in the ice water bath. Shocking your greens stops the cooking process and preserves their vibrant color, flavor, and texture. To correctly shock the chard, let it sit in ice water for at 2-3 minutes. Do not pack the chard into the ice water bath.^{[5]
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6
Drain the water and ice and squeeze any excess water from your chard. After you drain the water, use your hands to squeeze out any remaining water in your greens. It is essential to remove as much water as possible.^{[6]
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- Any excess water remaining will form crystals on the chard when they freeze. These crystals will dilute the flavor and change the texture when you defrost the chard in the fridge.
7
Pack the chard tightly until they form a ball the size of a baseball. Once you are sure you have removed as much excess water as possible, go ahead and gather a handful of greens in your hands and mold them until they are in the shape of a ball. Continue to add chard to the ball until it is between the size of a tennis ball and baseball.^{[7]
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- The blanching and shocking process will keep the chard slightly damp, making them pliable and easy to mold.
- Try not to over handle them. The dampness will act as its own adhesive, so you do not need to overwork your chard.
8
Place the chard balls on a baking sheet. As you set your chard balls on the baking pan make sure that they retain their shape. Leave a .5 in (1.3 cm) to 1 in (2.5 cm) space in between each ball of chard to prevent them from losing form or sticking together while freezing.^{[8]
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9
Wrap plastic wrap tightly around your pan and freeze for 1-2 hours. Pull the plastic wrap as tightly as you can around your pan. This will prevent ice crystals from forming on your damp chard. Your chard will not completely freeze during this time but will form a strong enough seal to prevent the chard balls from clumping together when you move them to a bag.^{[9]
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- The chard does not need to freeze all the way through. Make sure that if your chard is not completely frozen, it will not break its form when you place it in the bag.
10
Transfer your greens to a zip-top bag and remove excess air. You can use one large bag or a few smaller bags to store your chard balls. This will allow you to remove one ball of chard at a time and have the perfect portion. Just make sure that whatever bag you choose to use, you are removing any excess air before returning them to the freezer.^{[10]
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11
Store your Swiss chard in the freezer for up to 10-12 months. If you leave it in the freezer longer than that, it is still safe to eat, it will just have lost some of its quality. If your chard has become discolored or has an odd smell, it has gone bad and should be discarded.^{[11]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Keeping Swiss Chard in the Refrigerator

1
Place unwashed Swiss chard in a storage bag. You can use any type of plastic storage bags to keep your chard, just make sure that the bag has an airtight seal. Although a regular plastic storage bag will work just as well, if you will be storing your chard in the crisper section of your fridge, you may opt to use a perforated plastic bag.^{[12]
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- Do not wash your chard before storing it in the refrigerator. Any exposure to water before refrigerating will cause it to spoil much faster.
2
Remove any excess air from your storage bag. After placing your chard in the storage bag, wrap the bag as tightly as you can around the chard. To keep your greens fresh, remove as much excess air from the bag as you can.^{[13]
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3
Store your chard between 32 °F (0 °C) and 40 °F (4 °C) for up to 10 days. If possible, keep your fridge at 95% relative humidity. This will generally be more obtainable when using the crisper section in your refrigerator.^{[14]
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- As long as your chard is packaged correctly, it will last between 5 and 10 days depending on the temperature of your refrigerator.
- If you store your chard below 32 °F (0 °C) or for longer than the recommended time, you may notice the stem start to develop brown spots and the leaves begin to wilt and turn yellow. Although it will not hurt you to eat wilted chard, it is not recommended.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Canning Swiss Chard

1
Clean your canning jars and pressure cooker with hot, soapy water. Although you do not need to sterilize your canning jars when using a pressure cooker, you will need to make sure that the jars are clean. All you need to do is wash all of your canning supplies in hot, soapy water before using them.^{[15]
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- It is also a good idea to run your fingers along the edge of your lids to check for any cracks or chips. Do not use lids that have these flaws, as they will not seal properly.
2
Wash small amounts of the Swiss chard thoroughly. Make sure your Swiss chard is free from any dirt and debris. You can use a tub of warm water to soak the chard for a few minutes and then rinse thoroughly. Make sure that the water draining from the chard is free from any debris.^{[16]
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3
Trim the chard and remove the stems. To can your Swiss chard, you will need to make sure that you trim the chard so it easily fit into the jar. Start by removing the stems and trimming the leaves.^{[17]
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- During this step, you will also want to remove any bad spots from the chard.
4
Steam 1 lb (16 oz) of chard using a cheesecloth bag for 3-5 minutes. Although you may be canning more than 1 lb (16 oz) of chard, begin by steaming only what will be going into one jar. Place your chard in a cheesecloth bag or steamer basket and steam your chard until it has wilted. This process will take between 3-5 minutes.^{[18]
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- Smaller amounts of chard will wilt closer to 3 minutes, while larger amounts will take closer to 5.
5
Use tongs to place the steamed chard into a .5 US pt (0.24 L) jar. Do not pack you chard too tightly into the jar. Leave at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of space between the top of your chard and the lid of the jar.^{[19]
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- For larger quantities you can use a 1 US qt (0.95 L) canning jar, but remember to still 1 in (2.5 cm) of headspace.
6
Fill the jar with boiling water. Use a kettle or teapot to boil your water. Make sure that as you pour the water into the jar that you keep a 1 in (2.5 cm) headspace while ensuring that your chard is completely submerged.^{[20]
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- Be sure to remove any air bubbles in the jar by adjusting the headspace.
7
Dry the jar rims with a paper towel and secure the lid. Drying your rims before placing the lid on the jars will help you make sure you are creating a tight seal. Ensure that your lid is on tightly to make sure that you chard is being properly sealed during cook time.^{[21]
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8
Cook your 11 lb (5,000 g) jars in the pressure canner for 70 minutes. Be extremely careful when placing your jars into the pressure cooker. Wait to insert your jars into the cooker until you have multiple jars ready. Process your .5 US qt (0.47 L) with a pressure of 10 lb (4,500 g) for 70 minutes and 1 US qt (0.95 L) for 90 minutes.^{[22]
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- Processing times will change based on altitude. If you are at an altitude over 1,000 ft (300 m), add 15 lb (6,800 g) of pressure.
- For 10 lb (4,500 g) you will use a weighted gauge. For anything 11 lb (5,000 g) and over you will use the dial gauge and adjust the pressure as needed for your altitude.
9
Turn off the heat of your pressure canner and take the lid off slowly. When canning greens it can be tricky to prevent liquid loss within the jars. It is important that before removing your jars from the canner you turn off the heat and wait for the lid lock to go down. After that you can take the lid off slowly to let out some of the steam.^{[23]
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- De-pressurizing very slowly is important to maintain the liquid within the jars. If you take your jars out too soon, the chard will dry out.
10
Place the lid back on the pan and let the jars sit for 10 minutes. Do not lock the lid on during this time. You need to allow your jars to gradually cool down before removing them. After the first 10 minutes are up, remove the lid completely from the pan and let it sit for another 10 minutes.^{[24]
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11
Use tongs to remove the jars from the canner. After you have let your jars cool in the canner, use tongs or other heat resistant tools to remove your jars. You will need to allow the jars to cool completely before storing.^{[25]
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- You may notice some liquid loss in your jars while cooling. Liquid loss is normal during this process however, if your greens are no longer covered by the liquid left in the jar, the jar needs to be refrigerated and the greens should be eaten within a week.
12
Store your jars of chard in a cool, dark, and dry place. The recommended storage temperature for canned goods is between 50 °F (10 °C) and 70 °F (21 °C). Use your canned Swiss chard within a year to avoid spoilage.^{[26]
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Trustworthy Source
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food
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- Low-acid foods, such as chard, may be difficult to test for spoilage. The biggest indicator will be an unusual odor once the jar is opened. If you see any dried chard sitting at the top of the jar, while it is still sealed, it should be discarded.