Recipe: Pickled chard stems

Juicy, crunchy and refreshing, this pickle is the best reason not to throw out your chard stems

The recipe is for white Swiss chard stems, but it’s also wonderful using rainbow chard stems (just leave out the turmeric to let the rainbow colours shine) or beetroot stems.

Ingredients

• 400g chard stems, cut into slices 2-3mm thick
• 400ml distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 150ml filtered water
• 45g caster sugar
• 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 1½tsp ground turmeric
• 1tsp sea salt
• ½tsp fennel seeds

Method

Put the sliced stems in a 1 litre dry, sterilised jar. Put the rest of the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to the boil, then immediately pour the brine over the chard stems, leaving 1.5cm of space clear from the rim of the jar to the top of the veg.

Cover the jar tightly with the lid and leave to cool before refrigerating. Use within four months.

This is especially brilliant with chunks of buffalo mozzarella or in a spicy sausage sandwich.

Funky by Caitlin Ruth (Blasta Books, £13)