How to Freeze Kale – Soil Born Farms (2024)

FAQs

How to Freeze Kale – Soil Born Farms? ›

For bulk storage, quick-freeze small clumps of kale individually on a cookie sheet. After they are frozen, place clumps into a large freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible from bags before sealing. Or store into individual packages before freezing.

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.

Dry leaves by placing them on a towel. Fill the towel with leaves, then roll it up and squeeze to remove excess water. Quick-freeze small clumps of kale individually on a cookie sheet. After they're frozen, place clumps into freezer bags in bulk.

Grease ice-cube trays with a small amount of coconut oil (photo 1). This makes sure that the greens will pop out of the trays without falling apart. Freeze until frozen - approximately 3 hours.

The stems should face toward the back of the fridge, where the air is colder. If you'd rather use a hard-sided storage container, just place one paper towel on the bottom of the container and another on top of the kale. Rinse the kale thoroughly under (cool, but not cold) running water when you're ready to eat.

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.

On average, it takes a standard tray of ice cubes about four hours to freeze completely. However, that time can differ greatly depending on a number of factors. For instance, the size and shape of each ice cube can make it freeze much faster or slower.

Your best bet is a zipper bag made for the freezer. Place your leaves in, and press down to remove as much air as possible as you seal your kale iinto the bag. You may want to label your bags with the amount of kale in it and when it was frozen, so you know if you have enough in there for your recipe.

Freezing kale is another easy way to preserve your extra kale leaves. I like to freeze my kale in 1/2 cup portions that can be quickly and easily added to soups, stews, quiches, and so much more.

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.

Can I do anything with the kale stems? ›

Add kale stems to a sauté or stir-fry

Not into eating those crunchy stems raw? Go ahead and de-rib the leaves, then slice the stalks and add them to a skillet with chopped garlic or onion.

Cutting the stem of kale and marinating it with olive oil and salt can help reduce bitterness. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours for better tenderness and less bitterness.

Excess moisture can cause kale to go bad faster, so give it a good pat dry before moving on. Wrap the head of kale in paper towels before placing it in the bag or container. This will help absorb any moisture. Place clean, dry kale in a plastic storage bag or a reusable food storage container with an airtight lid.

At the Farmers Market be sure to provide shade to protect produce that is set out. Place ice on the market table underneath produce that will tolerate it. Mist produce with clean, cool, drinking water periodically. Keep a limited amount of produce on display.

Lay the clean, dry leaves on paper towels, loosely roll into a cylinder and place in a zip-top baggie. Alternatively, you can line a large airtight container with paper towels and loosely fill it with greens. Top with another paper towel layer and snap on the lid. Store in a cold part of the fridge.