Kale is a winter vegetable that doesn't have to fear sub-zero temperatures. Neither outside in the bed, nor in the freezer. That's why its season can be extended by a good bit by freezing it.
In a nutshell
- freeze lush green, crisp leaves
- Wash several times, remove leaf vein
- Blanch for 3-5 minutes, shock in ice water
- let dry, cut into small pieces and freeze in portions
- use up within a year
Table of contents
- Kale needs frost
- Freeze fresh, unblemished leaves
- Prepare kale
- Freeze kale
- Freeze kale dishes
- Thaw kale
- frequently asked Questions
Kale needs frost
The vitamin-rich vegetables It only tastes really good after it has had a few very cold days around 0 °C or even frost. At low temperatures, kale produces less starch and more sugar as photosynthesis slows down. This reduces the bitterness and the taste becomes milder and sweeter. In frost-free winters, freezing is no substitute for the lack of cold outdoors, because harvested kale can no longer carry out photosynthesis. Nevertheless, many people swear by this “replacement treatment”.
Freeze fresh, unblemished leaves
It does not harm the kale if it all winter in the bed remains and is gradually harvested. If you want to freeze it for later, you can do so throughout the winter. Store-bought kale can also be frozen if the leaves are fresh, i.e. still lush green and crisp.
Prepare kale
In order to be able to enjoy the kale from the freezer, some preparation is necessary before freezing.
- Remove the tough core from each leaf.
- Cut out yellow and damaged leaf areas generously.
- Wash the leaves thoroughly in several passes. This is very important because dirt and sand can get stuck in the hard-to-reach, curled parts of the leaf.
- In a large saucepan, heat water and add salt.
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
- Blanch the leaves in batches for 3-5 minutes each.
- Scoop out the leaves with a ladle and shock them in ice water.
- Remove the leaves from the ice water and drain them in a colander.
- You can also carefully squeeze out the leaves by hand and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Finely chop the kale for later use.
Tip: If you don't have time to freeze the harvested kale right away, store it in the crisper of the refrigerator. It stays fresh for about 4-5 days.
Freeze kale
Once the kale is blanched and chilled, freeze it immediately:
- Portion kale as needed (makes it easier to remove later)
- Use freezer bags or freezer containers
- ecological alternative: sealable jars
- Label frozen food with contents and date
Freeze kale dishes
Not only fresh green leaves, but also already prepared kale dishes can be frozen. However, they must first cool down completely. Make sure that all other ingredients used can also be frozen.
A notice: Ready-made kale dishes have a shorter shelf life and should therefore be used within three months.
Thaw kale
Remove the frozen kale from the freezer immediately before using it. You can either add it frozen to the cooking food, or heat it up in a saucepan or pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, adding a little water.
frequently asked Questions
Frozen kale can be stored until the next kale harvest, i.e. a whole year.
Three to five months after the planting the kale plant has formed large, harvestable leaves. Harvesting is usually delayed until the first frost. The harvest time lasts until the end of January, with very frost-hardy varieties it can also extend into March. Only pick individual leaves, not the entire plant. Because if the heart is left standing, it can still drift on warmer days. Choose a frost-free day to harvest. Otherwise, kale plants can easily be damaged and begin to rot.
After blanching, you can put the kale in mason jars, cover with salt water (10%) and a little lemon juice, and then cover and cook. The preserving time is 70-90 minutes at 100 °C. Kale can also be dried well and dried into delicious vegetable chips.
