cardoons and swiss chard

I have had huge success with swiss and rainbow chard and leaf beet - can oyu freeze it? I havent at the moment got a freezer or even a fridge but realise that if I am going to be growing a lot it will be feast or famine if I dont find a way to store the gluts.

Also I planted cardoons juts two of them and they havent done very much - I thought that they were going to be liek globe artichoke sbut then read htatI should have blnached them for the stems does anyoen grow these and am I too late - Its still fairly good weather here.
Thanks

 

I grew cardoon this year lapod, but only for decorative purposes.
As you say, I do think the stems are edible, the flowers are not, I dont think, unlike globe artichokes.
I would guess, and it is only a guess, that the young stems are eaten in early spring, the following year after planting.

 

Thanks Pete,
Mine only grew to about 18 inches high and didnt flower or anything though they look strong and everything here was very late I think due to the natural overwatering.

 

The top growth on mine has now died but there are new shoots now coming up from the ground around the old stem.