Harvest, freeze & preserve kale

Kale stands in the garden until winter. But the season ends sooner than expected. Here you can find everything you need to know about harvesting & freezing kale.

For many, kale is just as much a part of winter as icy temperatures. But even after the cold season, the kale is a delicious and very healthy leaf vegetable. We'll tell you when you should bring in your own harvest and how you can preserve your kale.

Harvesting kale: the right time

Kale is a typical winter vegetable. The harvest season begins in late November and can take several months. The length of the harvest period depends on how hardy your Variety of kale is. It is generally said that the kale should be exposed to a severe frost before it is harvested - only then does it develop its perfect taste. Since there isn't a hard and fast rule when harvesting the kale, you should make your own kale too Harvest different times in winter and find out for yourself when it is best for you tastes.

Store and preserve kale

For lovers, kale is a nutrient and protein-rich meal all year round and can be used in a variety of ways. The options for preserving kale are just as varied as the recipe ideas.

Freeze the kale

If you want to have some of your beloved kale for a long time, you should store it in the freezer. Before storing it in a cool place, however, there are a few things to consider.

1. Wash the kale well to remove any dirt or sand residue
2. Remove leaves from the main stem
3. Blanch kale: Put in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes
4. Quench the kale with cold water
5. Drain well and chop to desired size
6. Put kale in containers: ready to freeze!

Drying kale: make kale chips yourself

Another way to give frost-loving winter vegetables a longer shelf life is drying kale. To do this, separate the leaves from the main stem, wash them and then chop them into bite-sized pieces. You can now give the kale a rather simple flavor with a little oil, salt and pepper or opt for a more unusual variant. There are many recipes in which the kale chips are mixed with a little hazelnut or almond paste to create a tasty and crunchy crust. Sesame paste, chia seeds or even oatmeal are also used in some recipes.

It is especially important that all other ingredients (except for the kale) are processed into a marinade so that the kale is evenly coated later. That guarantees a crispy, crispy crust. Once you have mixed all the ingredients with the kale, spread the mixture on a baking sheet. Now it comes to the actual dehydration process. When drying kale, the chips should dry at 40 to 50 ° C for about 6 to 8 hours. You can use a commercially available oven or a special dehydrator for this. After half a day of patience, you can finally enjoy your delicious, homemade kale chips!

Reduce the kale

Probably the most classic way of making kale long-lasting is canning. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Wash kale: remove any remains of earth and sand
2. Boil the kale: Put in boiling salted water for 6-8 minutes
3. Chop and portion kale: Chop your kale to the size you want and fill it into mason jars
4. Pour the kale with salt water and close the preserving jars
5. Boil closed jars in boiling water for another 20 minutes

Note: Unfortunately, when you boil the kale, you cannot prevent valuable nutrients from being lost!

More information about the Kale can be found in our review article. We will introduce you to different types of kale and explain what needs to be considered when growing and caring for cabbage.