Every time I use Swiss chard in a salad, I end up tossing the stems. But that’s such a waste, so I decided to pickle them. That way these tangy and a little bit sweet pickles can be added to those salads, or be used as a topping for some toast. So if you find yourself with some Swiss chard stems, here’s a recipe to help you use them up. Please keep in mind that these are quick pickles and not meant to be kept a long time.
Ingredients:
- Swiss chard stems from one large bunch
- optional – ½ a sliced shallot
- 1 tbsp. pink peppercorns
- 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
- 500ml white wine vinegar
- 250ml water
- 100g coconut palm sugar
- 1 tbsp. Himalayan Salt
Method:
- Trim the chard stems of any bits of leaves, cutting them julienne and place them together with the sliced shallot in a sterilized jar.
- Add the pink peppercorns and the celery seeds to the jar as well.
- In a small saucepan, toast the coriander seeds until fragrant.
- Add sugar, vinegar and water and bring to a boil.
- Cook 1 minute, stirring to dissolve sugar; pour carefully over the chard sticks.
- Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour, agitating the jar every so often.
- Refrigerate and use within a month.
