The best method for storing swiss chard keeps your leaves fresh for up to two weeks in your refrigerator with proper prep. Leave your chard unwashed and wrap it in damp paper towels inside a plastic bag. Store it in the crisper drawer where temps stay cold and humidity stays high.
I tested several storage methods over the past few summers to find what works best for my home grown chard. The paper towel method beat all others with leaves staying crisp and fresh for 12 to 14 days. Washing before storage cut that time in half every single time I tried it.
Skip washing your chard before you put it in the fridge even if it has some dirt on it. Water on the leaves speeds up decay and makes your greens go slimy faster than anything else. Wash right before you cook and not a minute sooner for the longest storage life.
Research shows leafy greens store best at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) with 95% humidity. Your fridge crisper drawer comes close to these conditions when set to high humidity. This cold moist space keeps your chard from wilting and going bad too fast.
Here are the swiss chard storage tips that work best based on my testing over the years. Wrap unwashed leaves in slightly damp paper towels that are moist but not wet. Then put the wrapped bundle in a plastic bag with the top loosely closed to let some air flow through.
Check your stored chard every few days and remove any leaves that start to turn yellow or slimy. One bad leaf can spread decay to the whole bunch fast if you leave it in there. This quick check takes 30 seconds and can save the rest of your harvest from going bad early.
To keep swiss chard fresh even longer, you can freeze it for up to 12 months of storage. Blanch your leaves in boiling water for two minutes then plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking. Squeeze out excess water, pack into freezer bags, and label with the date.
I blanch and freeze any chard I cannot eat within two weeks of harvest from my garden. The frozen leaves work great in soups, smoothies, and cooked dishes throughout the winter months. Fresh eating quality suffers after freezing but the nutrition stays almost the same.
Do not store your chard next to apples, bananas, or other fruits that give off ethylene gas. This gas makes leafy greens yellow and decay faster than normal. Keep your chard in a separate drawer or on a different shelf away from ripening fruit.
A harvest of fresh chard deserves proper storage so you can enjoy it for weeks instead of days. Take the extra few minutes to wrap your leaves right and you will waste less food from your garden. Good storage turns one big harvest into many meals on your table.
When I first grew chard I let so much of it go to waste because I did not know how to store it right. Now I get weeks of fresh eating from every harvest by following these simple storage steps. The paper towel method changed everything and keeps my greens fresh and crisp.
Start using these tips today and you will notice a big difference in how long your chard lasts at home. Fresh greens that last longer mean less trips to the store and more savings for your food budget. Your home grown chard deserves the best storage care you can give it after all of your hard work in the garden.
Read the full article: How to Grow Swiss Chard Successfully
