Types Of Swiss Chard Tips For Choosing The Best Swiss Chard Variety

How do I pick swiss chard?

The most common method for how to pick chard is to cut off the outer leaves 1 ½ to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm.) above the ground while they are young and tender (about 8 to 12 inches (20.5 to 30.5 cm.) long). Older leaves are often stripped off the plants and discarded to allow the young leaves to continue to grow.

How many types of Swiss chard are there?

The major varieties of Swiss chard include Bright Lights, Bright Yellow, Fordhook Giant, Lucullus, Rhubarb Chard, Rhubarb Red, and Ruby. The different kinds of chard bunched together are known as Rainbow Chard, which is the common name to describe the bright stalks.

Is there a difference between Chard and Swiss chard?

Chard is perhaps most commonly referred to as Swiss chard (which is one varietal), and it's related to beets. Chard greens look similar to beet greens, but unlike beets, the root of chard is inedible. ... White, gold, and red are the most common—Swiss chard is the white-stemmed variety.

What's the best way to eat Swiss chard?

5 things to do with Swiss chard

Add chopped fresh Swiss chard to other salad greens.
Toss in a handful of chopped Swiss chard to your next stir fry, soup or omelet.
Sauté Swiss chard in a little olive oil and garlic. ...
Sauté Swiss chard in a little chili oil. ...
Use the leaves like a tortilla wrap.

How do you make Swiss chard not bitter?

6 Answers

Use older chard, which tends to be markedly less bitter than the young chard you're using;
Avoid bringing out the bitterness, by cooking at lower heat;
Mute any remaining bitterness with salt, which is pretty common for leafy greens.

Will Swiss chard grow back after cutting?

Chard is best treated as a “cut-and-come-again” crop. This harvesting technique involves taking only a few older leaves at a time from each plant, allowing younger leaves to continue growing for additional harvests later in the season.

What is similar to Swiss chard?

Substitute for Swiss Chard

Mature spinach.
OR - Mustard greens.
OR - Cavalo Nero (Black Tuscan) kale, longer cooking time.
OR - Large bok choy.

What family is Swiss chard in?

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla in the Family Chenopodiaceae) is a type of beet that does not produce an edible root.

What is another name for Chard?

Chard has been used in cooking for centuries, but because of its similarity to beets and vegetables such as cardoon, the common names that cooks and cultures have used for chard may be confusing; it has many common names, such as silver beet, perpetual spinach, beet spinach, seakale beet, or leaf beet.

Is Swiss chard healthier cooked or raw?

In its raw form, it is a good source of vitamin C. Note that the above values are for cooked Swiss chard. Like many leafy greens, Swiss chard shrinks drastically when cooked, so 1 cup of cooked Swiss chard will contain much more nutrition than 1 cup of raw Swiss chard.

Which is healthier Swiss chard or kale?

As you can see in the chart above, kale does exceed the other greens in vitamins A and C, but Swiss chard has 16 percent more iron than kale. ... All four types of greens are also rich in many other nutrients, including manganese, folate, copper, choline, magnesium, potassium and vitamins E, K, B2 and B6.

Is Swiss chard a Superfood?

Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse -- an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber.

Can you eat Swiss chard everyday?

Chard contains 3 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and 44 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A. This vegetable can help to combat cancer, reduce blood pressure, and enhance performance in sports. Swiss chard can be eaten raw or cooked.

Can I eat rainbow chard raw?

Wait, can you eat rainbow chard raw? You can absolutely eat chard raw, the same way you would eat kale or spinach raw.

What can I do with a lot of Swiss chard?

Use swiss chard in your favorite recipes.

Use it in smoothies. Chop it up (remove stems if you prefer) and use it like kale in smoothies.
Add it to soups and stews. Swiss chard holds it shape well when cooked and adds a nutritious boost.
Roast it with your favorite root vegetables.

How does Swiss chard taste?

The large, firm leaves are mild, sweet, earthy and just slightly bitter; on the whole, it's a bit milder than spinach. The stalks -- which can be white, yellow, red, purple, pink, striped and so on -- resemble flat celery with a sweet taste slightly reminiscent of beets. Why is it sometimes called Swiss chard?

How do you clean Swiss chard?

ANSWER: To clean your homegrown Swiss chard, you can either soak the leaves for a while before washing them or simply rinse under running water while washing the leaves well. To soak, fill a large bowl with cool water, or use the stopper of your sink to fill up the basin.

Why is Swiss chard good for you?

What's more, Swiss chard is a good source of calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, sodium, phosphorus and vitamin E. This green is not only loaded with nutrients but also extremely low in calories, making it a weight-loss-friendly food.

Does Swiss chard need full sun?

Swiss chard prefers rich, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. In the North, sow from early spring to midsummer for a fall crop; in the South sow in fall to spring. Sow the seeds 1/2 inch deep in rows spaced 18 inches apart. Thin seedlings to 12 inches apart when they are large enough to handle.

Can Swiss chard grow in shade?

Swiss Chard

Among vegetables, leafy greens are the most tolerant of shade, including kale, lettuce, spinach, arugula and chard. Related to both beets and spinach, Swiss chard tastes a little like both and is fairly easy to grow.

How long does Swiss chard last?

Place chard in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper section. Chard will keep in the refrigerator for about 10 days. Chard that is stored too cold or too long will develop brown spots on the midrib and the leaves will wilt and yellow.