Swiss chard

Beta vulgaris · Leafy green

1 variety40 pairings

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) is a leaf beet — the same species as beetroot and sugar beet, but bred for its foliage rather than its root. It is grown for large, glossy, deeply crinkled deep-green leaves carried on broad, juicy, celery-like stalks that run from white through gold, orange, pink and crimson; the multicoloured mix sold together is called rainbow chard. The flavour is earthy and mildly bitter, like a cross between beet greens and spinach.

Picking a good onedrag

Turgid, glossy, dark greenYellow, limp, stalks slimy

Shop freshThe all-rounder: stalks braised first, leaves wilted in after.Everyday best

BladeGreen throughout, gloss gone flat

The stalkBends a little, then snaps

Cut baseRim tanned, still pale inside

SmellNeutral, damp and green

What to look for, from turgid, glossy, dark green to yellow, limp, stalks slimy.

What one gives you

92%

Usable yield

48 g · tough stems and damaged leaves out

52 g

Typical weight

one specimen

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 6× longer than the counter.

Humidity

95-98%

The blades lose water fast: a loose bag or a damp cloth in the crisper. Bare on a fridge shelf they go limp in a day.

Airflow

Loose bag, never sealed

Perforated bag or loose wrap, never sealed - shut tight the leaves sweat and the cut stalk ends turn slimy.

Ethylene yellows the blades

It makes almost none itself but is highly sensitive to it: ethylene from apples, bananas and tomatoes yellows the blades and browns the leaf margins.

Preparing