How to Freeze Kale
Gather your supplies., Wash and trim the kale., Prepare your water., Boil the stems., Blanch the leaves., Shock the leaves., Drain and dry the leaves.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather your supplies.
To freeze kale, you first need to clean it, trim it, blanch it, and shock it to help preserve the flavor while it’s frozen.
To do this, you'll need as much kale as you plan to freeze, along with a few simple kitchen tools, including:
Knife Large pot Large bowl Colander or strainer Four clean kitchen towels Tongs Slotted spoon -
Step 2: Wash and trim the kale.
Rinse the kale leaves under running water to remove dirt, bugs, and other debris.Place the leaves on a clean towel to remove excess water.
Cut the very ends off the stems, and then cut the stems into one-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.
Set the stems aside.
You can either leave the leaves whole, cut them into strips, or cut them in half for storage.
Kale stems are nutritious, but they can make the kale tough.
You can remove them before freezing if you wish.
To remove the stem, cut off the bottom stem where there is no leaf, and then peel the leaves away from the center vein running up the middle of the kale.
Cleaning your kale before you freeze it will make it more convenient when you need it. , Blanching is a two-part process that involves boiling the kale for a few minutes and then plunging it immediately into an ice bath.
To prepare your water for the process:
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Fill a large bowl with equal parts ice and cold water.
Have a colander or strainer nearby so you can drain the water from the leaves. , When the water is boiling, add the pieces of kale stem and boil them for three minutes.
Because the stems are thicker and tougher, they require a longer cooking time than the leaves.Cooking the stems separate from the leaves ensures that you don’t undercook the stems or overcook the leaves.
If you discarded the stems or used them for something else, go straight to blanching the leaves. , Using tongs, place the kale leaves into the boiling water.
Fill the pot as much as possible without overcrowding the leaves.
Boil the greens for
2.5 minutes.Work in batches if you have more than a potful of kale.
Make sure you allow the water to return to a boil before adding more leaves.
Blanching vegetables in this way kills enzymes and bacteria that can destroy the color, flavor, and nutrients of the vegetables.
Killing these enzymes, therefore, allows you to store the kale longer., Use the slotted spoon to remove the kale from the boiling water.
Plunge the kale immediately into the ice cold water to stop the cooking process.
Leave the kale in the ice bath for
2.5 minutes, the same as your cooking time.If you're working in batches, add more ice after every batch of kale you chill.
Shocking the leaves in an ice bath will preserve the vibrant green color, and prevent the leaves from overcooking. , Remove the leaves from the ice bath using the slotted spoon.
Transfer the kale to the colander, and allow the excess water to drain off.
Shake the colander regularly to help remove the water.Lay two clean kitchen towels on a flat work space.
When most of the water has dripped off the kale, spread the leaves out on the towels.
Use the other two towels to dry the kale as much as possible.
Set the kale aside to finish air drying.
The dryer the kale is when you freeze it, the fewer ice crystals will form, and the longer the kale will withstand freezer burn.
Drying the kale is important if you plan to freeze whole leaves, but not important if you're going to make kale puree to freeze. -
Step 3: Prepare your water.
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Step 4: Boil the stems.
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Step 5: Blanch the leaves.
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Step 6: Shock the leaves.
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Step 7: Drain and dry the leaves.
Detailed Guide
To freeze kale, you first need to clean it, trim it, blanch it, and shock it to help preserve the flavor while it’s frozen.
To do this, you'll need as much kale as you plan to freeze, along with a few simple kitchen tools, including:
Knife Large pot Large bowl Colander or strainer Four clean kitchen towels Tongs Slotted spoon
Rinse the kale leaves under running water to remove dirt, bugs, and other debris.Place the leaves on a clean towel to remove excess water.
Cut the very ends off the stems, and then cut the stems into one-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.
Set the stems aside.
You can either leave the leaves whole, cut them into strips, or cut them in half for storage.
Kale stems are nutritious, but they can make the kale tough.
You can remove them before freezing if you wish.
To remove the stem, cut off the bottom stem where there is no leaf, and then peel the leaves away from the center vein running up the middle of the kale.
Cleaning your kale before you freeze it will make it more convenient when you need it. , Blanching is a two-part process that involves boiling the kale for a few minutes and then plunging it immediately into an ice bath.
To prepare your water for the process:
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Fill a large bowl with equal parts ice and cold water.
Have a colander or strainer nearby so you can drain the water from the leaves. , When the water is boiling, add the pieces of kale stem and boil them for three minutes.
Because the stems are thicker and tougher, they require a longer cooking time than the leaves.Cooking the stems separate from the leaves ensures that you don’t undercook the stems or overcook the leaves.
If you discarded the stems or used them for something else, go straight to blanching the leaves. , Using tongs, place the kale leaves into the boiling water.
Fill the pot as much as possible without overcrowding the leaves.
Boil the greens for
2.5 minutes.Work in batches if you have more than a potful of kale.
Make sure you allow the water to return to a boil before adding more leaves.
Blanching vegetables in this way kills enzymes and bacteria that can destroy the color, flavor, and nutrients of the vegetables.
Killing these enzymes, therefore, allows you to store the kale longer., Use the slotted spoon to remove the kale from the boiling water.
Plunge the kale immediately into the ice cold water to stop the cooking process.
Leave the kale in the ice bath for
2.5 minutes, the same as your cooking time.If you're working in batches, add more ice after every batch of kale you chill.
Shocking the leaves in an ice bath will preserve the vibrant green color, and prevent the leaves from overcooking. , Remove the leaves from the ice bath using the slotted spoon.
Transfer the kale to the colander, and allow the excess water to drain off.
Shake the colander regularly to help remove the water.Lay two clean kitchen towels on a flat work space.
When most of the water has dripped off the kale, spread the leaves out on the towels.
Use the other two towels to dry the kale as much as possible.
Set the kale aside to finish air drying.
The dryer the kale is when you freeze it, the fewer ice crystals will form, and the longer the kale will withstand freezer burn.
Drying the kale is important if you plan to freeze whole leaves, but not important if you're going to make kale puree to freeze.
About the Author
Andrew Hughes
Brings years of experience writing about hobbies and related subjects.
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