It needs blanching. Frozen without blanching, it turns tasteless unless used very soon.

Check out the Harvest Forum too as I have read threads on this question there frequently - chard, kale, collards, and all the other greens - I think most there agree that blanching (or braising) is required before freezing.

I blanch most veges, but have never with chard. My chard goes year round. I'm just now picking it for the chickens and planting it for the winter !
Nancy

you should ask this question in the Harvest Forum. They deal with these issues.

Thanks! I will try the other forum, and for now will blanch what I am freezing.

A lot of people will tell you that you don't have to blanch veggies and I think it is a matter of taste...but in my opinion...you really should blanch for the best flavor...and after all the work of getting the bed ready, planting, tending and all the work involved...I just am not willing to take a chance...and how hard is it to blanch something?

It really isn't that hard to blanch (this was my first time, and I wasn't really sure how). Growing up we didn't freeze much, we canned or ate fresh. There were 7 of us in my family and when my mom canned, she canned! She would buy bushels and bushels of stuff, and we would can for days (and days) and I was trying to avoid canning. I am freezing because right now I usually don't have that kind of time. Since I waited so long to start freezing, it did take me an entire day to blanch and freeze (could also be me being clumsy trying to figure out which pots to use, ect!) If I stay on top of it, I should be able to put away a few bags at a time!

How important is it to only do one layer of chard at a time?
Any other tips on blanching?

I have frozen spinach without blanching with no ill effects. Still delicious sauteed with garlic and olive oil. I suspect chard would do the same. Color and flavor? Flavor is retained, color changes with cooking anyway...especially if you are cooking with other ingredients... Where did blanching come from? The USDA? Is it a common wisdom that no one questions?

"Where did blanching come from? The USDA? Is it a common wisdom that no one questions?"

From research done by food scientists. The point of blanching is to extend the storage life of the frozen greens by eliminating the enzymes that hasten spoiling during freezing. Blanched greens have 2x the freezer storage life of unblanched. Blanching also reduces the bacterial count. That research is all well documented and available to all.

As always, the choice is yours to make but common sense plays a big part in making the decision.

Dave

Just to add to that, the enzymes that blanching eliminates are still active in frozen foods. Freezing doesn't stop the decomposition that they drive. Nope, you don't have to blanch veggies before freezing, it you're going to use them promptly. Interestingly, underblanching actually accelerates those enzymes. Overblanching causes loss of flavor.

"How important is it to only do one layer of chard at a time?
Any other tips on blanching?"

Not sure where that recommendation comes from, unless you are trying to freeze entire leaves. With leaves cut into strips - and stems sliced thinly, if you mix them - you can freeze much more. Large pasta kettles (with the large inner basket) are best for freezing vegetables, since they allow for quick & easy transfer. The kettles I use hold 2 gallons of boiling water, and will blanch about 1 pound of vegetables at a time.

For chard, a large colander full of chopped leaves is about right for one batch. The leaves take awhile to sink into the water, so they should be stirred down before timing starts. A blanching time of 3 minutes seems to be the norm for most vegetables, including chard... but you could probably get away with 2 minutes if freezing leaves only. We prefer to add at least part of the stems.

Blanching & cooling should both be done quickly, so whatever kettle / basket / strainer combination is used, it should allow the vegetables to be removed promptly after the blanching is complete. Stir frequently, especially when cooking or cooling begins. My tap water is cold, so for cooling, I use cold running water into a large kettle, and submerge the basket quickly into it. I can't over-emphasize how important it is to cool blanched vegetables quickly for best quality, since the cooking process continues until the vegetables have been cooled. I highly recommend to stir continuously for at least the first minute of cooling.

After cooling, drain the chard, and pack tightly into freezer boxes (my preferred method) or strong freezer storage bags.

I should add when we have unused stems, we use them in a cream of celery recipe, with a few leaves thrown in for color... it makes a pretty good soup, which we also freeze.

Yep, chard stems are wonderful substitutes for celery. Somewhat better, in fact. But like for most premium dark greens, the leaves have vastly more nutrients than the stalks.