Is It Ok To Freeze Fresh Kale?

You can freeze kale without blanching, but plan to use it within four to six weeks. Unblanched kale may develop a bitter flavor because you haven’t stopped the action of the naturally-occurring ripening enzymes in the leaves.

How do you prepare fresh kale for freezing?

How to Freeze Kale:

1. Prep Your Kale. Make sure you fully wash and chop your kale before freezing, so it’s ready to go straight into your recipe from the freezer.
2. Pack the Kale. After rinsing, make sure to let the kale drain well, then just place it in any air-tight freezer safe container.
3. Cook the Kale.

Does freezing kale destroy nutrients?

Some vitamin C and B vitamins can be lost during the blanching process, but the majority of the nutrients are preserved.

Is kale still good after freezing?

Kale, like few other vegetables, freezes beautifully — but you have to deactivate enzymes in the kale before putting it in the freezer. Most vegetables have these enzymes that cause the vegetables to continue aging and rotting even if the vegetable is frozen.

How do you store kale in the freezer?

To freeze the kale, lay the washed kale onto a clean baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Remove it and transfer it to a freezer-friendly bag or container, label it, remove any extra air from the bag and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months!

What is the best way to preserve kale?

Store Whole Bunches In the Fridge
To avoid excess moisture, wrap the whole bunch of kale in a layer of paper towels, and store in a supermarket plastic bag or a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The kale should keep for 1 week.

What can I do with too much kale?

10 Ways to Love Kale Mor More

1. Massage it in a salad.
2. Make kale chips.
3. Pair it with nuts.
4. Try dinosaur kale.
5. Throw it in the soup.
6. Make it the green in “a grain, a green, and a bean.”
7. Put kale in a burger.
8. Put it in a green smoothie.

What is healthier kale or spinach?

The Bottom Line. Kale and spinach are highly nutritious and and associated with several benefits. While kale offers more than twice the amount of vitamin C as spinach, spinach provides more folate and vitamins A and K. Both are linked to improved heart health, increased weight loss, and protection against disease.

Which is better frozen kale or fresh kale?

Since fresh kale can be very bulky and tough, people may attempt to eat it raw without cooking or massaging and then determine they do not like it, she cautions. However, frozen kale is delicious. “With frozen, the texture after cooking is more palatable,” she says.

Should I blanch kale before freezing?

Do You Have to Blanch Kale to Freeze It? Yes and no. If you want to store your frozen leafy greens for several months they need to be blanched first. While you can freeze kale and other leafy greens raw they will only keep for a month to month and a half before the texture, color and flavor all start to deteriorate.

How do you store kale long term?

Refrigerator: You can store a fresh bunch or bunches of kale in the fridge’s crisper drawer. Before storing, wipe away excess moisture, wrap the kale leaves in a paper towel, and place them in a plastic bag. Kale bunches will last a week in the fridge.

Can you eat kale stems?

Too often recipes instruct you to “remove and discard kale stems.” But did you know you can actually cook them—and that they’re delicious? It’s true! Kale, oh kale, how we love your leafy greens.

Can you freeze raw kale for smoothies?

Yes, you can and it’s so easy. You simply need to wash, dry, remove from the stems, and place into a freezer bag. No blanching required!

What happens if you do not blanch a vegetable before freezing it?

Blanching helps vegetables keep their vibrant colors and retain nutrients, and stops the enzymes that would otherwise lead to spoilage. Freezing vegetables without blanching them first results in faded or dulled coloring, as well as off flavors and textures.

Should you wash kale before storing?

Kale is a vitamin-packed, hearty green that is as healthy as it is delicious. That’s why proper storage is so important. Treat it right, and it stays fresh for quite some time. So don’t pre-wash it, keep it very cold, and away from apples.

Can you freeze fresh greens without blanching?

If greens are not blanched properly, they will lose their fresh flavor quickly in frozen storage. Steam blanching of greens is not recommended as the leaves mat together and do not blanch properly.

Can you cook frozen kale?

Kale is most readily available fresh in spring and fall, but frozen kale is available year-round. Keeping a bag or two in the freezer ensures you always have it available when a recipe calls for kale. To cook frozen kale, place 1 cup of water in the pot for every 2 cups of frozen kale.

Why should you not eat kale every day?

Raw kale may be more nutritious, but it may also harm your thyroid function. Kale, along with other cruciferous vegetables, contains a high amount of goitrogens, which are compounds that can interfere with thyroid function ( 8 ). Specifically, raw kale contains a type of goitrogen called goitrins.

Is it better to freeze kale raw or cooked?

Blanching kale before freezing prevents the leaves from turning bitter, helps maintain their color and extends storage life. Blanched kale can be frozen for up to 6 months. To blanch kale, bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water.

Can too much kale cause blood clots?

A word of caution: Kale is very high in vitamin K , known as the clotting vitamin because without it, blood won’t clot properly. If you are taking blood thinning or anti-coagulant drugs, like warfarin (brand name Coumadin), you need to avoid large amounts of kale.

What does kale do to your poop?

Kale is more than a food trend, it’s also one of nature’s best natural laxatives. Dark leafy greens like kale, collards, Swiss chard, and spinach contain magnesium, a mineral that helps soften stools, making them easier to pass.