Pickled Chard Stems
I love chard. It’s one of my favorite greens that we grow at Tumbleweed Farm. In the late evenings when we walk around the farm turning off irrigation and closing the chickens in for the night I can’t help but notice how beautiful the endless rows of rainbow chard look blowing in the evening wind. I adore adding the leafy greens to smoothies, pestos, soups, salads (I’ve got a great salad coming to the blog very soon!) and of course, used as wraps for burritos. There’s a million ways to incorporate the greens into any meal but the stems can often times get overlooked. They’re so stunningly beautiful and have a similar texture to celery so it’s silly to toss them out. They’re great tossed into chicken salad, dipped into peanut butter and in this case–pickled! Pickled chard stems have been our condiment of choice on burgers, sandwiches and simply eaten on their own with a cheese platter at the end of the day with some wine or a cold beer. Simple, delicious and a great way to enjoy these beautiful stalks.
Our CSA members are receiving a lot of chard these days so this recipe is dedicated to them! Grab some vinegar, honey and a mason jar and you’re halfway there!
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm.
Pickled Chard Stems
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 1 pint
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chard stems (from about 1 large bunch of chard)
- 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
Preparation
- Place the chopped chard stems in a glass bowl or large mason jar and set aside.
- Toast the brown mustard seeds in a saucepan for about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, water, honey and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the honey has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the peppercorns and let the brine cool for about 10 minutes.
- Pour the brine over the chopped chard and cover the jar with a secure lid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before enjoying.
Notes
*Pickled chard stems will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks in a secured glass jar *Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary
I’ve never actually heard of chard before so it should be interesting to try! I always enjoy finding foods I’ve never had the pleasure of tasting before!
Fantastic idea! I’m doing a cooking demo at our farmer’s market in August and will incorporate your honey brine for chard stems — it’s a bit of crystal ball reading, but I just bet chard is going to be plentiful then (in MT). Thank you for your great ideas for using fresh produce and sharing your beautiful photos.
Has anyone canned this recipe? I’m interested in doing it for a small bath water can and could use any recipe or timing instructions!
Thanks!