Everything it’s crucial that you know about keeping kale fresh.
Kale can be refrigerated, frozen, and dried.
What Is Kale?
Credit:Getty Images
When picking kale, looking at both the stalks and the leaves is important.
The stalks should look green and hearty, and leaves should be small to medium in size.
Any kale that shows yellowing or discoloration of stalks should be avoided.
Kale stalks should be sturdy and leaves should be firm and plump.
If leaves look wilted or are wet and mushy, the kale has gone bad.
Kale can be stored in three ways: fresh, frozen, and dried.
Refrigerate Kale
Refrigerating kale is a great way to have it at-the-ready for any number of recipes.
Kale does need to be refrigerated if you plan to keep it fresh.
It will begin to wilt at room temperature.
The key to keeping kale fresher longer is keeping the vegetable dry.
After drying, wrap the kale in apaper towelbefore placing it inside a plastic storage bag.
Fresh kale should not be washed until you plan to use it.
Thankfully, this superfood can be easily frozen with a few simple steps.
When the leaves are removed from theboiling water, place them in ice water before drying thoroughly.
Once frozen, place them in an airtight storage container.
Frozen kale lasts six to eight months in the freezer.
Cook the kale until dry and crispy, checking periodically to verify the kale leaves are not burning.
This can take about six hours.
Store for up to three months.
Chop it and store it, and it’s ready to go on a busy weeknight.
What About Bagged Kale?
Once open, it’s possible for you to store it in the bag it came in.
Remove any air, fold the top down, and secure it with a clip.
Bagged kale lasts about three to five days and two days once opened.
Use the kale right away because the crispness won’t last.
