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Can you freeze fresh kale without blanching?
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.
Is it better to freeze kale raw or cooked?
Frozen vegetables never have the same consistency as their raw counterparts, so frozen kale is best used in cooked dishes. If you love massaged kale salads you should use your fresh kale.
Does raw kale freeze well?
Any raw kale can be frozen. So the next time you purchase too much at the store, don’t let it go to waste. Simply wash, chop, blanch, then flash-freeze your kale to enjoy at a later date. Frozen kale will keep up to one year, and can be used in a number of recipes.
Why do you blanch kale before freezing?
Blanching is an important step when it comes to freezing any vegetable for several reasons: Blanching stops the enzymes that lead to spoilage, it enables the vegetables to retain their original texture, their vibrant colors, flavors and their nutrients.
What is the best way to freeze kale?
Wash, dry, and remove kale leaves from the stems. Place into a zip top freezer bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze!
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 abundance of kale?
10 Ways to Love Kale Mor More
- Massage it in a salad. …
- Make kale chips. …
- Pair it with nuts. …
- Try dinosaur kale. …
- Throw it in the soup. …
- Make it the green in “a grain, a green, and a bean.” …
- Put kale in a burger. …
- Put it in a green smoothie.
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 it OK to use frozen kale in smoothies?
The kale can be used directly from the freezer for the smoothie – no need to thaw. You can also use it soups and other recipes straight from the freezer. The only recipe it would not work in is a salad or a recipe where you would need fresh greens.
Is frozen kale mushy?
You can safely freeze kale but the texture will change and result in a quality that is less crisp. Once thawed or defrosted, kale will lose some of its water, thus becoming soft and lose some of its crispness. Because kale is a hearty green, it freezes very well and retains some of its texture.
How long can fresh kale be frozen?
How long will kale last in the freezer? Kale will easily last up to 6 months, and as much as a year, before you get any degradation in quality.
How long do I blanch kale?
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste and the kale. Blanch for 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking, and drain. Take the blanched kale up by the handful and squeeze hard to expel excess water, then chop fine.
How long do you blanch kale for freezing?
While boiling or steaming kale for six to eight minutes will reduce most of the soluble (and about 1/3 of the total) amount of oxalic acid, the simple blanching to freeze will remove some of it.
Can you blend kale and freeze it?
Freeze Kale As Is
If you know you want to add kale to various smoothies, but don’t want to fuss with making freezer smoothies or doing any other prep work, you can transfer the kale directly to a freezer bag.
Is frozen kale good?
If you’re wondering whether frozen kale is as healthy as the fresh stuff, it totally is. It has all of the same nutrients that fresh kale has, and sometimes even more, depending on how “fresh” your fresh kale really is.
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.
How long does kale last in fridge?
After you wash the kale and remove the excess moisture, portion it out and wrap it up loosely in clean paper towels. Store it in a ziplock bag or airtight container in the fridge in the crisper drawer for up to 6 days.
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 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.
What is healthier kale or spinach?
When you look at their nutritional makeup, kale has more calcium, vitamin K, and twice as much vitamin C as spinach, she explains. Spinach, however, has more iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, folate, and vitamins A and E. “Both are highly nutritious choices overall though,” she tells me.