How to Harvest and Store Kale

You can stem, slice or tear the leaves, rinse them, dry them well in a salad spinner or with kitchen towels, and store the leaves, wrapped in a paper towel in a zip-top plastic bag, for up to 3 days. With a knife (or your hands!), remove the kale stems before blanching and freezing.

Where do you cut and harvest kale?
Does kale grow back after cutting?
Should I wash kale before storing?
Does Kale come back every year?
How do you know when kale is ready to harvest?
How long do kale plants last?
What do you do with kale after flowering?
Should I cut the flowers off kale?
How do I freeze kale?
How do you wash kale?

Where do you cut and harvest kale?

When choosing where to cut, consider the growth point. On a kale plant, this is the central portion of the plant where stems converge and new growth emerges. To allow new growth, cut the stems above the growth point. To do this, cut just below where the stem connects to the larger leaves.

Does kale grow back after cutting?

So long as you continue to harvest in this fashion, the plant will continue to produce new leaves from the top as it grows taller. But if you harvest the leaves from the top, they you will stunt the plants growth!

Should I 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.

Does Kale come back every year?

Does kale come back every year? Although kale is normally grown as an annual plant, it is actually a biennial, which means it has a two-year life cycle. In its first growing season, your kale plant will produce lots of leafy green foliage.

How do you know when kale is ready to harvest?

Before you begin, you'll need to make sure that your kale plant is ready to harvest. You'll know when it's ready when it's about 12 inches tall and the leaves are the size of your hand or bigger. Leaves that are the size of your palm are younger and more tender whereas the bigger leaves will be older and a bit tougher.

How long do kale plants last?

So How Long Does a Kale Plant Live? Normally Kale is biennial, so it will only live for two years. But there are Kale variants, that can live more than two years like Tree Kale for example.

What do you do with kale after flowering?

Even after the leaves have turned bitter, the flowers the plant produces are pretty tasty, and can be eaten like you would broccoli florets. If you end up with more leaves than you can use in one meal, toss them into a plastic bag and store them in the dehumidifier drawer of your refrigerator.

Should I cut the flowers off kale?

You can eat the stems or discard them—it's up to you. If you cook the kale, the stems will become more tender. ... When the weather warms, your kale plants will send up flower stalks and produce pretty yellow flowers. The plants become ornamental in the garden, and you can cut the flowers for arrangements.

How do I freeze kale?

Instructions

Wash the kale well. Dry with towels or a salad spinner.
Tear the leaves from the woody stems.
Spread the kale leaves out on a large baking sheet. A few layers are fine, as long as the kale is dry. ...
When the kale is frozen, move it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Label and freeze for up to a year.

How do you wash kale?

How to wash kale

Soak chopped kale in a large bowl or container of ice water. ...
Use a slotted spoon to remove the kale to a colander or salad spinner insert. ...
Repeat this process if the kale is particularly dirty.
Then, rinse the kale under cold running water.
Finally, use a salad spinner to dry the kale thoroughly.