Discover effective methods on how to store kale for longevity. Keep your leafy greens fresh and nutrient-rich with our easy-to-follow guide.
If you are a kale consumer, you need to learn how to store it properly, just as you would with any other of your veggies. Especially if you find yourself going to the market several times a week because your kale isn’t lasting, but fret not; there is light at the end of the tunnel. And you are in luck because if you are not clear on how to keep kale fresh, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about how to store this nutritious vegetable.
Kale is a vitamin-packed, hearty green that is as healthy as it is delicious; but kale is not only healthy and delicious if you treat it right; in other words, if you store it properly, it will stay fresh for a long while so you can continue ripping all the benefits of kale.
How to store kale in 4 easy steps
- Place your kale in an airtight plastic bag. Pack the kale into a resealable plastic bag for easy access, but do not seal the bag yet.
- Wrap your kale with paper towels. This step is vital because the paper towel is placed to absorb any excess moisture and prevent the kale from spoiling faster. Just place a clean, dry paper towel into the bag with the kale. Then before you seal the bag, make sure to squeeze out as much air from the bag as possible.
- Refrigerate your kale. Transfer your kale bags to the crisper drawer of your refrigerator and use them within the next 5 to 7 days. If you do not have a crisper drawer, place the kale in the door compartment or on a shelf with the stems facing toward the back of the refrigerator. The back of the refrigerator is the coldest area, and the stems are the hardiest portion of the kale, so they’re less likely to become damaged from the cold.
- Wash the kale before utilizing it. Immediately before consumption, kale should be rinsed; this put your kale under cool, running water, and dry it thoroughly with clean paper towels before using or consuming it.
FAQ On How To Sore Kale
How long can you keep kale stored?
Though it is considered the hardest of the leafy greens, kale has a fairly short shelf life. But if you learn how to store it correctly, you can make it last as long as possible.
Alright, so kale is kept in the fridge, duh! After following the right steps and learning a few tips, your kale can stay fresh for a week, if not longer. Generally, kale can stay fresh in your fridge for up to two weeks. Note that the kale may become more bitter after several days, even with proper storage, so it’s still best to use it as soon as possible.
If you need to store kale for longer periods, you may want to keep it in the freezer. Frozen kale can last up to a year.
How To Store Kale – Tips And Tricks
- Do not wash. If you get your kale from your grocery store is probably already wet because, you know, the grocery store sprays those veggies all the time. However, and very important, do not repeat; do not wash kale before storing it. Washing it before storage will only increase spoilage. Plus, because of all the grooves that some varieties have, it takes forever to dry completely. Basically, washing it could introduce too much moisture into the storage container, resulting in faster spoilage.
- Keep it very cold. Kale tends to get more bitter the longer it is left at room temperature, so keep it cool! The reason why you want to keep it in the coldest part of the fridge.
- You must keep it in an air-tight bag and get the bag as air-tight as you can.
- Do not de-stem it. Kale is very sensitive. You only want to cut it and wash it before use.
- Kale is also sensitive to other products in your fridge. You want to keep kale as far way possible from your apples. Kale is very sensitive to ethylene, formed naturally from certain other products, storing it away from those items.
- Rehydrate the kale. Kale begins to dry out and wilt, so after a few days have passed and you still have some left in the fridge, you can rehydrate it by dunking the kale into a bowl of lukewarm water. Do this for approximately ten minutes. This will greatly reduce the possibility of going to waste. You can use a salad spinner to dry the kale out again before returning it to the bag.
When storing kale in containers
If you’re working with a larger batch of kale, you’ll probably be forced to use a container, and that is ok too.
Just place the kale into an airtight plastic container. Keep the leaves relatively loose and don’t pack the container too full since doing so could bruise or otherwise damage the kale.
When storing kale in plastic containers, line the bottom of the container with 1 paper towel before putting the kale inside, then place a second paper towel over the top of the kale before sealing the container.
Place your container in the crisper drawer.
An Alternative Method On How to Store Kale
Alright, so a lot of people do wash their kale before storing it inside the fridge. Many attribute this fact due to the sturdiness of kale, which means that it withstands being washed before being stored. Just follow the steps below.
What you need:
- Salad spinner
- Paper towels
- Knife
- Freezer bag
The Proccess:
- Wash your kale in a salad spinner full of ice water. Use a sharp knife to slice the kale off the tough middle stem and chop the leaves into bite-size pieces. Place the chopped kale in the salad spinner and fill the bowl with cold water. Give the kale some good swishes to help loosen any dirt.
- Drain and spin. Lift the strainer insert and empty the water of the bowl. Place the strainer and kale back in the bowl, put the lid on, and spin dry.
- Wrap them in a loose bundle with a damp paper towel or a thin cotton kitchen towel to store the greens.
- Once the kale is dry, could you place it in a large freezer bag? You can label the bag with the date.
- Seal and refrigerate in the crisper drawer.
You’ll have washed, prepped kale in the fridge for up to three days. Read our guide on how to freeze kale.
