How to freeze Swiss chard from your garden, with pictures,

Swiss chard is very popular in the Mediterranean region, but it is not very well-known outside of the United States.It can be eaten raw, sautéed, or otherwise prepared.Swiss chard is called "spinach" in South Africa.It's easy to grow in most parts of the United States, and you can easily eat more than you need.It's easy to freeze the leaves and stems later in the year.

Swiss chard is high in nutrition and low in calories.It is a good source of vitamins A, B, and K.

Swiss chard has a flavor that is a little sweeter.It looks great in the garden.The "Five Color Silverbeet," with orange, magenta, yellow and white stalks, looks amazing.It's easy to grow.New stalks will form at the center of the plant if you just keep harvesting the outer stalks.It doesn't get hot in the summer, which is a bonus for people who like leafy greens.You can harvest chard well into November if you keep harvesting it fairly well.

Swiss chard can be frozen for a year if it is properly prepared.

The leaves should be separated from the stalks.Since the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves, cooking the chard later is more convenient.Sometimes you don't want to use both in a recipe.

Put the Swiss chard in the water.If you have a lot of greens to boil, make sure they retain their fresh flavor after freezing.A good ratio is 4 cups of greens to a gallon of water.Swiss chard leaves can be boiled for two minutes.

The water should begin to boil after Swiss chard is put in it.If you blanche leaves or stalks, start the timer for one or two minutes.

The stalks and leaves can be put in freezer bags.As much air as possible be removed from the bag.If you don't have vacuum-sealed bags, you can suck the air out of a ziplock bag.If you want to insert a straw, zip the top of the bag closed.Suck the air out as best you can.The straw needs to be closed so it can be removed.It will help keep quality and prevent freezer burn.