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Quick Pickled Swiss Chard Stems in a glass jar.
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Quick Pickled Swiss Chard Stems

Pickled Swiss Chard Stems are tangy, crunchy, full of flavor—and made with just 5 simple ingredients! No cooking, no waste, and no fancy spices required. Make once and enjoy all week on tacos, salads, bowls, and more. (Vegan, Gluten Free).
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Bri Beaudoin

Ingredients

  • 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar (or cane sugar)
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (see note 1)
  • ⅓ cup hot water (see note 2)
  • ⅓ cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 cup sliced Swiss Chard stems (about ¼-inch/0.6 cm thick, see note 3)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Make brine: Add 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to a medium heatproof jar or container (see note 4). Pour in ⅓ cup hot water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour in ⅓ cup red wine vinegar and stir.
  • Combine: Submerge 1 cup sliced Swiss Chard stems in the brine. Cover and let sit on the counter to cool (about 15 minutes). Use immediately or store in the fridge (see note 5).

Notes

  1. Salt: Fine sea salt, fine kosher salt, or pickling salt all work.
  2. Hot water: Boil water in a kettle (or heat on the stove).
  3. Swiss Chard stems: I like use red chard stems for a pretty pink colour. But you could substitute white Chard stems (just know the color will look different than the photos). This recipe uses just the stems; use leftover leaves to make Baked Swiss Chard Chips, Lemon Swiss Chard Pasta, or Red Lentil Soup.
  4. Container: Use a heatproof container (like a mason jar or Pyrex or similar). I like to temper the glass—by running it under hot water—before adding ingredients. This helps to gently warm the glass and prevent "thermal shock", which can cause cracking (unlikely but can happen). 
  5. Storage: Quick Pickled Chard Stems can be enjoyed in as little as 15 minutes. They'll soften and absorb more flavor the longer they sit. Keep refrigerated. Use within 2 weeks.
  6. Nutrition facts are a rough estimate. It's based on eating all the recipe ingredients. But, you won't actually consume much of the brine (which contains the salt, sugar, vinegar).

Nutrition

Calories: 6kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.01g | Saturated Fat: 0.001g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg