Swiss chard is an attractive and tasty member of the common beet class that gives us alimental - dense leaves with sweet , earthy flavors .
A favorite of leafy green lover , this vegetable is a nutritional ball of fire that ’s typically consume overbold when the leaves are small and tippy .
And to the full grown , the glossy , crinkled leaves are savour as a unused wrapping or lightly saute , steamed , or added to simmering dishes .
Photo by Lorna Kring.
The pretty leave-taking are broad and savoyed , creating a canopy of crinkly colors from mid- to abstruse dark-green , and Burgundy wine to purpurate for some of the colourful varieties .
The beautiful , celery - like husk – often brightly colored – are fully eatable , with a mild taste and easy crunch .
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Photo by Lorna Kring.
They add a striking vertical sake and vivacious direct contrast , and occur in a variety of vivid colors including burgundy , mauve , orange , peach , pink , cherry-red , white , and yellow-bellied .
Plus , unlike most cool - season leafy greens , these fast - growing plant can do by most of what the summer has to hold at them in terms of high temperature without bolting or turning blistering .
This means you could savour an extra - prospicient season of sizeable , flavorful Swiss chard – from former spring right through to recent decline . And the flavor even improves with a touch of rime !
To get the most from your crop , grab a comfy chair and join us . It ’s time to interpret up on the best way to harvest Swiss chard .
Here ’s everything we ’ll comprehend :
What You’ll Learn
Chard : A True Super Green
pick Baby Greens
Harvesting Mature Leaves
Tips for Microgreens and Sprouts
Storage Suggestions
At the very top of the ANDI ( Aggregate Nutrient Density Index ) ordered series with a perfect sexual conquest of 1,000 , Swiss chard range as a rightful super green along with the likes ofcollard green , kale , leaf mustard greens , andwatercress .
This excellent ranking is due to its rich nutritionary profile , which includes high levels of antioxidants , minerals like manganese and atomic number 19 , and vitamins A , atomic number 6 , and K.
A biennial turn as an one-year , Swiss chard , Beta vulgarissubsp.vulgaris , is a member of the beet family and is also have it away by other common names include foliage beet , silver gray beet , beet Spinacia oleracea , and unending spinach .
Easily cultivated from unmediated sowing or via transplanted seedling , it hand a mature height of eight to 24 inch . plant can be glean continually start out in early spring .
A cut - and - descend - again craw , raw development is developed at the core of the plant as the outer helping are removed , producing a steady supply of tasty greens .
One of the most endearing features of this super green is its leeway of both estrus and cold-blooded .
Unlike most leafy greens , it holds up well through a hot summertime , and happily produces raw growth even when temperature are in the depressed 80s .
Above that , product can slow down but quickly restart once the air cools .
And on the impudent side , flora can withstand chilly temperatures down to 15 ° fluorine ! This versatility makes it a worthful crop with a very long growing season .
If your plants do dash in hot weather , promptly shorten the flower stalks close to the base , and plants will continue to develop Modern leaves .
For all the cultivation detail you ’ll necessitate , be sure toread our guide on how to establish and grow Swiss chard .
Baby greens are modest and tender with no midribs . They are typically enjoyed raw in salads , sandwiches , and smoothies , or they may be added to dishes like omelette , risotto , and put forward - fries .
Young Swiss chard is quick for a first pick as soon as 30 days after sowing , or when the first sets of true farewell are about four inches in length .
To harvest infant common , use a sporting , keen tongue or garden pair of scissors to cut the kayoed leave about two inches above the land .
With small plant life , take care to not damage the concluding bud – the come forth foliation rose window that grow from the plant ’s jacket .
Regularly trimming aside only the outer leave assure stiff production of new foliage .
The full - sized leaves of mature plant can also be used peeled as a wrapper , a garden - clean alternative to a tortilla .
Or they can be chopped and steamed or gently saute likespinach , and added to casserole , pasta looker , flurry - fries , soup , and lather .
The rib have a sweet smell and a Apium graveolens dulce - like crunch . They can be chopped and fudge with the foliage , or trim out and then cooked and served likeasparagus .
For full - sized folio with a thick midrib , reap 45 to 60 years after sow .
To harvest , use a fair , penetrative knife or garden scissors and sever steams about two inch above the ground .
Mature leaves can be glean a few at a time or all at once . But for multiple harvests throughout the season , as explicate above , the last bud must remain to keep make new outgrowth .
When cutting all of the ripe leave of absence at once , leave the terminal bud in place , as well as a few inner leave to protect the bud .
New ontogeny emerges speedily from the crown , and picking three full crop is potential in a single growing season .
Harvest close to mealtime for the best flavor and texture .
For non - wintering plants , a final harvest can be made before freezing temperature arrive by edit out through the crown just below the soil with a clean , sharp knife , or uproot plants and then pare .
Another way to enjoy the productive nutrients of Swiss chard – particularlyin the winter month – is in microgreen or sprout form , which can easily be grow on a countertop near a lustrous windowpane orunder a grow Inner Light .
For the best nutrition , microgreens are glean when the first duad of leaves open amply .
Plants can be reaped by cutting cleanly just above the soil with clean , sharp scissors or a knife . Or , they can be extirpate and rinsed , as all parts are edible , roots include .
‘ Pink Lipstick ’
‘ Pink Lipstick ’ germ for growing as microgreens areavailable at straight Leaf Market .
Fresh chard can be hive away in a perforated plastic suitcase in the vegetable crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to 10 daytime .
Chard can also be frozen , either chopped or whole . Stored in an airtight container or dish , it can last in the freezer for up to 12 calendar month .
Canning is another choice , but because Swiss chard is a low - dot food , itmustbe air pressure canned for secure eating .
computer storage properly processed and sealed jarful in a nerveless , glum , and dry cupboard for up to 12 months , and be certain to refrigerate after opening .
Garden-Fresh Goodness
Nutritious and delicious , Swiss chard is tight - develop and hardy , shrugging off summertime ’s estrus as well as freezing cold temperatures .
For the long possible uprise season , commend to pick only the out foliage to enjoy a continuous supplying of garden - refreshing goodness from early give into drop .
And do n’t blank out about microgreens or sprouts for the winter month !
And for more information about growing theleafy unripened goodness that is chardat home , be certain to read these articles next :
Photos by Lorna Kring © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more point . in the first place published September 26th , 2021 . Last updated April 30th , 2025 . Product pic via True Leaf Market . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Lorna Kring
