How to Freeze Kale (and my top recipes for how to use it) (2024)

FAQs

How to Freeze Kale (and my top recipes for how to use it)? ›

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 six months. To blanch kale, bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water.

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 six months. To blanch kale, bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water.

If you do too, we've got all kinds of kale recipes that show off the variety of ways to put it to work—whether that's baked with coconut flakes and nutritional yeast, blended into a smoothie with avocado, subbed in for basil in a pesto, covered in chicken schmaltz and served up with rice... or, massaged into salads, ...

Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost.

All leafy greens need to be blanched before freezing. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes that would lead to spoilage—and helps vegetables keep their bright color, flavor, texture, and nutrition.

For frozen kale that lasts eight to 12 months, blanch leaves and stems. Blanch leaves for 2.5 minutes, covering the boiling water pot with a lid to steam-heat floating leaves. Blanch stems for 3 minutes. Place leaves and stems in ice water for the same amount of time.

Kale can be frozen without blanching but should be used within 4 weeks. Blanching greens before freezing stops the naturally-occurring ripening enzymes in the leaves. This will ensure that the leaves taste fresh and will not develop a bitter taste. Blanched kale will last up to 1 year in the freezer.

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.

Blanch Them. Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

Is kale still good after freezing? ›

Yes, kale does just fine in the freezer. You can expect frozen kale to do pretty well for six months in the freezer if it's been properly processed for freezing. After the six-month point, it may start to lose quality and flavor.

All of your prep leads to the creation of pungent isothiocyanates. By rinsing after prepping, you can remove some of the isothiocyanates for milder kale leaves that need less dressing to taste good.

According to Healthline, veggies are typically frozen right after they're harvested so they retain the majority of their nutrients. Some studies have even shown that certain items like broccoli and kale have higher levels of riboflavin and antioxidants respectively, when frozen versus when fresh.

Kale is also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that reduce your risk of macular degeneration and other age-related eye diseases. Kale offers an abundance of nutrients that support heart health, including potassium, fiber, folate, and calcium.

Line a zip-top storage bag with paper towels. Place about two cups of dry kale inside the bag, squeeze out any excess air, and secure the bag. Store in the crisper drawer of your fridge for five to seven days. The stems should face toward the back of the fridge, where the air is colder.

Raw kale can be hard to digest. Kale's fibrous cell walls may prevent your body from absorbing nutrients, but cooking kale can reduce its antioxidant content. Nutrition experts say steaming kale is a good way to make it easier to digest while preserving most of the nutrients.

Cooking kale may lower its antioxidant content and vitamin C content, but that isn't to say cooked kale isn't healthy for you too. Another study found steamed kale can lower cholesterol and decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

According to Healthline, veggies are typically frozen right after they're harvested so they retain the majority of their nutrients. Some studies have even shown that certain items like broccoli and kale have higher levels of riboflavin and antioxidants respectively, when frozen versus when fresh.

How Long Does Kale Last? Like all produce, kale's shelf-life depends on how you store it. Raw kale will last up to a week in the refrigerator and about six months in the freezer. Cooked kale, meanwhile, will only keep for three to five days in the fridge.