Chard Stem Pickles

By Martha Rose Shulman

Chard Stem Pickles
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes, plus 2 days' refrigeration
Rating
4(93)
Comments
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It occurred to me that pickling would be a great thing to do with wide chard stalks. They’re crunchy and absorbent, and the texture stands up to weeks of pickling. Red chard or a mix of rainbow chard stalks is especially pretty if you serve within a few days of pickling; in time, the color will fade. Slice them very thin.

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Ingredients

  • 1 to 2cups very thinly sliced chard stalks (slice less than ¼ inch thick)
  • ½cup (135 grams) seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1tablespoon (15 grams) sherry vinegar
  • ¼cup (50 grams) sugar
  • 1cup (230 grams) water
  • 2¼teaspoons (10 grams) kosher salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

115 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 25 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 563 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the chard stalks in a jar or bowl.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, sherry vinegar and sugar. Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat and add to the vinegar and sugar mixture. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the salt and stir well. Pour over the chard stalks, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating and for up to 2 weeks. Shake the jar from time to time or, if you use a bowl, place a saucer on top of the chard stems to keep them submerged. Remove from the brine with a slotted spoon to serve.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: These stay crunchy and delicious for at least 10 days.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
93 user ratings
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Comments

Jen in Astoria

This kind of quick pickle works great with all kinds of produce. Used the leaves/tops of long Chinese garlic chives for something similar and they are wonderful.

Bill

Good way to use the stems. Stayed crisp for several weeks. Would not cut them so thin - 1/2 minimum next time.

Brobson Lutz

1. I added a bit of Ras el Hanout and some mustard seeds. After two days: perfect crunch and vividly pink. 2. Stayed crisp for several weeks. Would not cut them so thin - 1/2 minimum next time.

Gibby

Made as written. No, I think not quite; I believe I reduced the sugar. Yum--I will never throw out chard stems again. And then I made them again with fennel stems and some fronds, and garlic, and fennel seed, and maybe half the sugar and a little more salt (by accident)--about 2 1/2 t, maybe even a full tablespoon. Fabulous!! Those I will go out of my way to make again!

ChicoChic

Reminiscent of the treatment my mother would apply to beet stems - she abhorred food waste before her time!

DesignerCook

Love the Zero Waste! I subbed white wine vinegar for the Sherry and regular rice vinegar instead of seasoned only because that’s what I had on hand. Came out DEVINE! Delicious pickled flavoring with just a hint of sweet. Will definitely always salvage my stems to enjoy! Thanks for a great recipe!

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