How to Cook Hearts of Palm
on Jul 14, 2019, Updated Jun 05, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
The simple steps to being able to use hearts of palm right from the jar or can!
Texturally, a good heart of palm is a lovely balance between tender and crunch. The taste is slightly reminiscent of artichoke hearts, but more delicate. The flavor similarity is underscored especially when they are jarred or canned, as they are packaged with a liquid that is similar to the liquid used with artichoke hearts.
Hearts of palm look like long, very thick white asparagus, minus the tips. The texture is often compared to white asparagus. They have thick concentric layers within their column-like shape. Hearts of palm are also known as palmetto, palmito, swamp cabbage, palm cabbage, or chonta.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy.
Hearts of palm can be used right from the jar or can, rinsed, then sliced or diced. You can add them uncooked to vegetable or grain salads. They can also be used in cooked dishes, like stir-fries or casseroles. I can’t tell you how many jars we go through in my house — they are a not-at-all guilty pleasure for all of us!
What's In This Post?
Using Hearts of Palm as a Vegetarian Substitution
Hearts of palm have a similar texture to crab or lobster meat, and I have used them chopped in place of those shellfish in different recipes, like crab cakes or hot dips. If you sub them in for shellfish, you can make a dish vegetarian or vegan, depending on the recipe. You could use hearts of palm instead of artichokes in this hot cheesy dip as well.
Hearts of Palm Pasta
You can find hearts of palm pasta, which are long strands of hearts of palm that resemble spaghetti or other long, skinny noodles. They are vegan, low-carb, low-calorie, and gluten-free, so suitable for all kinds of diets. The texture is firm and slightly fibrous, though not as soft as wheat pasta.
You can also find riced hearts of palm, which can be used much like cauliflower rice, as a substitute for regular rice.
What You Should Know About Hearts of Palm
The most obvious question here is…are these really the hearts of palm trees? And the answer is yes, they are! They come from the center of palm trees, most often the cabbage palm. There are some harvesting techniques that will not kill the tree, and if you are a regular hearts of palm consumer, you may want to look into the harvesting practices of your favorite brand.
Some new growing and harvesting methods produce more hearts of palm from one plant without doing harm to the plant itself. Melissa’s Produce says, “Today, most hearts of palm are cultivated from multi-stemmed palms and harvested in a sustainable, environmentally friendly practices.“
Fresh hearts of palm are very hard to find. If you do find them, wow, please give me a call.
Hearts of palm are a good source of many nutrients. They contain protein and lots of fiber, and are high in vitamin C and vitamin B6, calcium, niacin, phosphorus, and zinc. Not many vegetables are high in protein, so this is good to know, especially for vegetarians. They are also low in calories, with only about 40 calories in a cup (according to WebMD).
Yes, you absolutely can. Hearts of palm are harvested from certain types of palm trees, so the entire plant definitely isn’t edible, but the product that ends up in the can or jar is.
Hearts of palm usually come in a salty brine, whether jarred or canned. You should briefly rinse them in cold water to get rid of some of that extra sodium.
Storage
Hearts of palm are usually sold jarred or canned. Before they are opened, they can be stored at room temperature. Once opened, they can be resealed and stored in the fridge for about a week before they become a bit mushy and past their prime. The same goes for hearts of palm pasta or riced hearts of palm. Check the expiration date on the can or jar.
Recipes That Use Hearts of Palm
How to Prepare Hearts of Palm
Ingredients
- 1 can or jar hearts of palm (about 14-15 ounces)
Instructions
- Open the jar or can and drain out the liquid. Give the hearts of palm a quick rinse under cool water.
- Enjoy the hearts of palm whole, or slice them or chop or dice them to use in recipes. Hearts of palm can be eaten straight from the jar, or used in cooked recipes.
Picked up hearts of palm on a whim, not knowing what I’d do with it. The prep instructions helped a lot, and that 3 bean salad was delicious.
We just got home from a resort in Costa Rica and they had Hearts of Palm cheese which was very similar to mozzarella on the buffet! It was delicious! Now home to the USA and tried to find a recipe and coming up empty handed. Have you made the cheese? I don’t do dairy and REALLY miss the cheese! I pretty much lived off of Guacamole, Cassava chips and HOP cheese!❤️
I have never heard of this! It sounds so interesting! I love hearts of palm, and I’ll be on the lookout for this cheese.
I want to know how to slice hearts of palm
Into flat noodles as in lasagna
I’ve never done that,but found this product! https://eatpalmini.com/
Amazon Canada now sells Palmini brand pf hearts of Palm. I just made lasagna with them last night. I would suggest boiling them 1st for 10 mins or slightly more. One tin (or pouch) makes 1 8 x 8 dish. Both myself and husband liked it. Good way to eat a dish without all the carbs. I just ordered some more .
I recently ordered the same from Walmart in Auburn IN. I boiled them for about 10 minutes and added to spaghetti sauce. Yummy!
I just want to know how to make lasagna noodles from hearts of palm
Puna Gardens from Hawaii. They will sell fresh hearts of palm to you direclty. I purchased myself a 5lb batch. Reasonably priced and….ohhhh my God, the difference between fresh and canned is indisputable. Give them a try.
Katie, What are your favourite ….. and Least Favourite Brands of Hearts of Palm? TIA
Jenn
I’ve been loving the Melissa’s hearts of palm! don’t have any brands I don’t like off the top of my head.
Vegetables have lots of protein. I am not sure as to why you said ” Many vegetables do not have protein. Majority of animals get their protein from veggies and act as a middle man to the person eating it.
some vegetables have more than others, and hearts of palm have a really good amount!
Truth! I appreciate the article and am making hearts if palm tonight. Its just a small correction. The average American eats six times the amount of protein we need. And no generation has eaten the amount if meat we do which is unsustainable. Nature has been getting it right proportionally for us. According to” diet for a new america” vegetables allready have the correct proportion of protein to fiber etc to nourish man. In fact you could live off coconuts alone( not a suggestion-a varied diet has been proven to be the heathiest) thank-you for the tips. Ill use them for sure.
She actually said “NOT THAT MANY vegetables are HIGH in protein […]”
We have a beautiful place in Hāna, Maui that grows and sells Hearts of Palm.
I hope to visit someday!
Thank you for addressing the harvesting issue! I love hearts of palm, and I love Costa Rica (where they grow)!
try the hearts of palm salad! I love it so… :)