Swiss chard flowering

[Babru]

One of my chard plants has flower buds. Does this mean that plant is effectively finished? Or, will it keep going if I take the flowers off?

[ameno]

It'll keep trying to flower now. If you take the flower stem off, it'll just produce another.
There are leaves up the flower stem, so it will technically keep producing leaves, but they're very small and of lower quality, so if you have a decent number of plants which aren't bolting then it's not really worth keeping it.

[Bren In Pots]

Before you remove the bolted chard plants harvest then freeze the leaves, they’ll be fine to make Saag aloo.

[Babru]

Before you remove the bolted chard plants harvest then freeze the leaves, they’ll be fine to make Saag aloo.

How should I freeze them Bren? I do often use the leaves in stews and curries.

[Bren In Pots]

How should I freeze them Bren? I do often use the leaves in stews and curries.

There’s 2 different methods either blanch or not it depends on your preference. I stopped blanching mostly because I couldn’t tell any difference it taste or texture.

Wash then blanch the leaves in boiling water for about a minute, cool then freeze.

Or just wash, dry then freeze.

[Babru]

Thanks Bren, I'll give that a go.