We planted chard in our garden because we read it could keep producing all summer long unlike spinach or kale. It has definitely met our expectations--it just keeps coming back--and it looks so good. We just harvested 6 pounds of it, blanched and froze it.But one problem...I got a terribly itchy throat after the process. This happened last time we processed a lot of chard too. This time, I realized I must have ate a piece of chard leaf raw. The itchy throat seems to be due to the oxalic acid on the leaves (also in beets, spinach, lambsquarter, wood sorrel (oxalis), and other greens in different amounts, but I've only gotten the reaction from chard). So watch out! I tried gargling an antacid (tums) to counter the oxalic acid and that seemed to help.
Oh! That's why I had a sore throat the other night-- after eating raw chard salad (like your massaged kale). And I was afraid I was getting sick!
ReplyDeleteBTW, in our experience kale produces all spring/summer/fall, too.
Yeah, weird huh?!
ReplyDeleteGood to know about kale...ours is still going now too.