Comments on: Swiss Chard http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/ Featuring Vegetable Gardening Tips, Organic Growing Techniques, and Unique Plants for the Backyard Gardener Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:45:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Joy http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-61167 Joy Sun, 04 May 2008 15:57:58 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-61167 If you plant the white chard with the fat stems, especially with a little afternoon shade in the hottest areas, you get two products for the price of one. The stems can be "strung" like celery, and then braised / simmered for meaty-textured, savory dish. Plain salt and pepper is enough, but they stand up to all sorts of things. Cumin and corriander...or basil, marjoram and tomatoes...curry...red peppers and coconut milk... all quite decent. You can also make refrigerator pickles. (I don't know how they stand up to longer pickling or canning. Wash well and try.) The leaves (tough ribs ideally stripped out) can be cooked like any greens. They are not as tender as spinach or sorrel, but MUCH faster-cooking than kale or collards. Comparable to young beet greens, and with a hint of the same flavors. If you want to throw in wild greens, I seem to remember that they cook OK, time-wise, with Fat Hen (chenipodium, a common weed in most parts) or garlic mustard (a common weed in some parts). Very good for you, very yummy. Don't cut the whole bunch at once, just keep picking stems off, and they'll keep going until frost. Cover them (hoops and plastic) and you may bring them through several light frosts. If you plant the white chard with the fat stems, especially with a little afternoon shade in the hottest areas, you get two products for the price of one. The stems can be “strung” like celery, and then braised / simmered for meaty-textured, savory dish. Plain salt and pepper is enough, but they stand up to all sorts of things. Cumin and corriander…or basil, marjoram and tomatoes…curry…red peppers and coconut milk… all quite decent. You can also make refrigerator pickles. (I don’t know how they stand up to longer pickling or canning. Wash well and try.) The leaves (tough ribs ideally stripped out) can be cooked like any greens. They are not as tender as spinach or sorrel, but MUCH faster-cooking than kale or collards. Comparable to young beet greens, and with a hint of the same flavors. If you want to throw in wild greens, I seem to remember that they cook OK, time-wise, with Fat Hen (chenipodium, a common weed in most parts) or garlic mustard (a common weed in some parts). Very good for you, very yummy. Don’t cut the whole bunch at once, just keep picking stems off, and they’ll keep going until frost. Cover them (hoops and plastic) and you may bring them through several light frosts.

]]> By: Kenny Point http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-60458 Kenny Point Thu, 01 May 2008 17:40:50 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-60458 Hello Sue, I never break up the swiss chard seeds (or even beet seeds for that matter) before planting, and even though the seeds resemble a compound type of seed the seedlings usually germinate into individual plants that don't require as much thinning as beet seedlings. Hello Sue, I never break up the swiss chard seeds (or even beet seeds for that matter) before planting, and even though the seeds resemble a compound type of seed the seedlings usually germinate into individual plants that don’t require as much thinning as beet seedlings.

]]> By: Sue http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-60328 Sue Thu, 01 May 2008 17:28:37 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-60328 What do you do with the seeds (swiss chard) before you plant them? Do you break them up? My husband did this and they did not come up. Thanks. What do you do with the seeds (swiss chard) before you plant them?
Do you break them up?
My husband did this and they did not come up.
Thanks.

]]> By: J Ruppel http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-9227 J Ruppel Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:58:49 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-9227 One of the things I like most about Swiss Chard here in north Texas is that you can start it early but since it is so heat tolerant it will carry on well past the time that the lettuce and spinach and other greens have long since given out. A great choice for warm locales. One of the things I like most about Swiss Chard here in north Texas is that you can start it early but since it is so heat tolerant it will carry on well past the time that the lettuce and spinach and other greens have long since given out. A great choice for warm locales.

]]> By: Wesley Cornelius http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-1417 Wesley Cornelius Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:00:20 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-1417 I planted some swiss chard seeds about 2 week ago and this morning I went by Home Depot and they had swiss chard plants @ .99 a pot, I picked the pots that had 2 plants in each one so I feel like I got a good deal because swiss is a easy plant to seperate and I am also growing garlic,shallots,cabbage and broccoli and in the summer I grow okra.egg plants ,habanero peppers and tomatoes and herbs. I am in jawja. I planted some swiss chard seeds about 2 week ago and this morning I went by Home Depot and they had swiss chard plants @ .99 a pot, I picked the pots that had 2 plants in each one so I feel like I got a good deal because swiss is a easy plant to seperate and I am also growing garlic,shallots,cabbage and broccoli and in the summer I grow okra.egg plants ,habanero peppers and tomatoes and herbs. I am in jawja.

]]> By: Jake Duffner http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-451 Jake Duffner Fri, 21 Jul 2006 22:22:25 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-451 Andrea, I followed these instructions last year and it came out really well for soups and stir fry. To freeze: 1. Prepare a sink of cold water. Rinse chard through several changes of water lifting leaves out leaving sand and soil behind. Then separate the stems from the leaves. 2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Drop about one pound of whole leaves in boiling water, cover and blanch for 2 minutes (blanch stems for 3 minutes). 3. Remove chard from water and immerse in an ice water bath for 2 minutes. Drain. 4. Pack in zip-closure freezer bags or freezer containers, leaving no headspace. Label, date and freeze at zero degrees for up to one year. Andrea,

I followed these instructions last year and it came out really well for soups and stir fry.

To freeze:

1. Prepare a sink of cold water. Rinse chard through several changes of water lifting leaves out leaving sand and soil behind. Then separate the stems from the leaves.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Drop about one pound of whole leaves in boiling water, cover and blanch for 2 minutes (blanch stems for 3 minutes).
3. Remove chard from water and immerse in an ice water bath for 2 minutes. Drain.
4. Pack in zip-closure freezer bags or freezer containers, leaving no headspace. Label, date and freeze at zero degrees for up to one year.

]]> By: Andrea Kiture http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-248 Andrea Kiture Sun, 28 May 2006 18:53:46 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-248 I have grown Swiss Chard in Houston, Texas for the first time in a container. It has done exceptionally well, I wasn't that familiar with them and wasn't really sure how to prepare them. Do they feeze well? I have grown Swiss Chard in Houston, Texas for the first time in a container. It has done exceptionally well, I wasn’t that familiar with them and wasn’t really sure how to prepare them. Do they feeze well?

]]> By: Kenny Point http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/swiss-chard/#comment-13 Kenny Point Fri, 11 Nov 2005 06:04:00 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/2005/10/27/swiss-chard/#comment-13 Hi Kerry, there’s no guarantee that Swiss Chard will survive the winter, but it’s pretty hardy and it often survives here in Pennsylvania without protection. Our winters are probably harsher than what you typically see in Kentucky, so I think that your odds of the plants surviving are pretty high. Hi Kerry, there’s no guarantee that Swiss Chard will survive the winter, but it’s pretty hardy and it often survives here in Pennsylvania without protection. Our winters are probably harsher than what you typically see in Kentucky, so I think that your odds of the plants surviving are pretty high.

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