Once I first began making inexperienced smoothies, kale was the veggie I wasted essentially the most. I can’t depend the variety of instances I’d say: “I’ll use that tomorrow”— and that kale didn’t stand an opportunity.
Once I lastly discovered the way to freeze kale, it was a complete recreation changer.
No extra smelly surprises and I all the time had leafy green vegetables able to go. Freezing kale is a type of easy, no-brainer kitchen hacks that saves cash, saves time, and makes wholesome consuming really feel far more doable.
Step-by-Step Information
Whether or not you’re grabbing a bag of kale from the grocery retailer, purchasing on the farmer’s market, or harvesting your personal, freezing kale is without doubt one of the best methods to chop down on prep time and all the time have greens prepared for smoothies, soups, and fast meals. Right here’s the way to do it step-by-step:
Kale Freezing Ideas
- Select contemporary, vibrant leaves: Older or yellowing kale leaves don’t freeze as nicely and might have a stronger, extra bitter taste.
- Wash totally: Grime loves to cover in curly kale, so give it a superb rinse earlier than freezing.
- Stop freezer burn: Make sure that the spinach is totally dry and moisture free earlier than freezing, take away as a lot air as attainable from the bag, and retailer it flat within the freezer for an hermetic seal.
- Flash freeze first: Unfold kale on a baking sheet for a couple of hours earlier than bagging to forestall sticking.
- Blanching: Blanching kale earlier than freezing might help protect colour, texture, and vitamins, particularly in the event you plan to make use of it in cooked dishes.
Does Freezing Kale Lose Its Vitamins?
Freezing kale preserves most of its vitamins, particularly in the event you prep it correctly. A tiny quantity of water-soluble nutritional vitamins, like vitamin C, might lower barely, however total, frozen kale remains to be full of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Methods to Use Frozen Kale
When you’ve bought your kale stashed within the freezer, meal prep turns into quicker and means much less irritating. Right here’s how I exploit frozen kale:
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Extra Freezer Guides
If you happen to’re discovering this kale freezing information useful, you’re going to need to take a look at my different guides to save lots of time and scale back meals waste:
If you happen to’ve discovered the way to freeze kale, I’d love to listen to the way it turned out within the remark field beneath. Your suggestions helps me and all of the readers on this group. And in the event you’re keen on extra kitchen guides (and unique content material), join my weekly recipe newsletter.
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Wash the kale totally to take away any filth or bugs.
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Strip the leaves from the thick stems and tear or chop into medium items.
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Drain nicely and pat the kale utterly dry.
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Add the kale to freezer-safe baggage, portioning as desired.
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Take away as a lot air as attainable, seal, and lay the baggage flat within the freezer.
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Freeze for 1–2 hours, or till stable. When prepared to make use of, take away the quantity wanted and return the remaining to the freezer.
- Select contemporary leaves: Use vibrant, deep-green kale. Older or yellowing leaves don’t freeze as nicely.
- Flash freeze: Unfold kale on a baking sheet and freeze for 1–2 hours earlier than bagging to forestall clumping.
- Blanching: Blanching kale earlier than freezing might help protect colour and texture, particularly in the event you plan to make use of it in cooked dishes. This step isn’t required for smoothies.
- Storage: Frozen kale retains nicely for as much as 6 months when saved hermetic.
- Methods to use: Add frozen kale straight to smoothies, or toss into soups and sautés with out thawing.
Serving: 1 cup | Energy: 7 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 1 g | Fats: 0.3 g | Saturated Fats: 0.04 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.1 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 0.02 g | Sodium: 11 mg | Potassium: 73 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 0.2 g | Vitamin A: 2098 IU | Vitamin C: 20 mg | Calcium: 53 mg | Iron: 0.3 mg
Frequent Questions
One of the best ways to protect kale relies on how you intend to make use of it. For brief-term storage, maintain unwashed leaves dry and chilly within the fridge. For longer storage, the freezer is one of the best place to maintain your kale. freezing kale works nicely, with blanching as an non-compulsory step to assist protect colour and texture in the event you plan to prepare dinner it later.
Frozen kale can style barely completely different than contemporary kale, primarily as a result of freezing softens the leaves. As soon as thawed or cooked, the feel is much less crisp and extra tender, which makes it higher fitted to smoothies, soups, stews, and sautéed dishes fairly than salads.
It’s greatest to freeze kale in parts. Unfold chopped leaves on a baking sheet to freeze individually earlier than transferring to baggage. This prevents clumping and makes it straightforward to seize simply the quantity you want.
Correctly frozen kale lasts as much as 6 months. For one of the best style and nutrient retention, attempt to use it inside this timeframe, preserving it saved in hermetic, freezer-safe baggage.
