How to Store Kale in your Fridge?

If you are wondering how to store kale in your fridge, you have come to the right place. This article will give you some helpful tips on how to keep your kale fresh and tasty. It will also help you know what to do if you think the kale is going bad.

Additionally, learn how to wash, blanch, and freeze kale to keep it fresher for a longer period. When you master some basic storage methods, this lush green vegetable will become the highlight of your refrigerator. These are my tried-and-true suggestions for keeping kale after harvest in the refrigerator and freezer, whether it is freshly harvested, from the garden, or bought from the store.

What is Kale?

Given that kale’s popularity hasn’t decreased since the 1990s, you undoubtedly already have some knowledge of it (and it has been around since Roman times). You might be shocked to discover that kale is a cruciferous vegetable from the cabbage family. All kale cultivars, which come in various leaf colors from deep green to purple and flat to curly, are highly healthy for you.

The amount of vitamins A, K, and C in just one serving of this superfood is staggering (206 percent, 684 percent, and 134 percent, respectively), and it also includes a tonne of other minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. In other words, kale should probably be a part of your diet if it isn’t already.

How to Store Kale in your Fridge?

For a leafy green, kale is rather hardy, although it may be a little picky about storage. Here is all the information you require on freezing and storing kale effectively.

Use paper towels to line a zip-top storage bag. About two cups of dry kale should be placed into the bag. Squeeze out any extra air, then tie the bag shut. For five to seven days, keep it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. The stems should face the cooler air at the back of the refrigerator.

Cooked Kale

Kale is a hearty green that can be added to various meals. However, it’s important to store it properly. If you don’t, it can go not good within a day. Keep these tips in mind when storing kale for the best results.

Store cooked kale in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The shelf life of cooked kale is about 3 to 5 days. It can be eaten cold or reheated on the stove.

For a longer storage period, you can freeze it. Raw kale can last for up to six months in the freezer. Use it as a base for soups, salads, and stews. You can also use it as a green sauce in cooked dishes.

To prevent mold and other pests, wrap kale leaves in cheesecloth before storing them. You can freeze the kale in a cookie tray or a freezer-safe container. Alternatively, you can flash-freeze the kale in ice water.

Pre-washed bagged kale will stay fresh for up to 5 days. Labeling your kale is a good idea to ensure it’s not mixed with other foods.

Blanched Kale

When you blanch kale, you will preserve the vegetable for a longer period. It can stay fresh and retain its color for up to six months in the freezer.

Kale is a great way to add a healthy, fresh side dish to your diet. It is full of antioxidants and flavonoids. In addition, it is low in calories and rich in fiber. However, it can get a little bitter. If you are storing kale for more than a few days, it is important to remove any dirt and pests that may be present.

You can freeze kale raw for smoothies. You can also flash and freeze it for three to four hours. The freezing process slows down the enzymes that help the greens to ripen.

To make blanched kale, you need to clean the leaves. You can use a large bowl of cold water. Or you can soak the kale in vinegar and water, which is effective for cleaning. Once you have rinsed the kale, you can cut it into pieces.

Freeze-Stored Kale

Kale is a leafy green used in soups, salads, and side dishes. It is a good idea to store it in the refrigerator, but freezing can extend its shelf life. There are many ways to freeze kale. You can either freeze it raw or cook it before storing it. The freezing process changes the texture of the vegetables, but it also helps to preserve them.

You can use plastic or cotton produce bags when storing kale. However, remember that plastic can leak chemicals into the food and damage the kale. Cotton is a natural alternative to plastic and can be washed after each use.

If you use a plastic bag, you should avoid storing it in the same part of the fridge as the fruit. This is because ethylene produced by fruits and vegetables can make kale spoil faster.

To store kale in the refrigerator, it is best to store the leaves in an airtight container. This will help to prevent freezer burn. You can use a Glad(r) FLEX’N SEAL(TM) Gallon Bag.

How to Store Kale Chips Long Term?

The best thing you can do is vacuum bag the kale chips if you intend to preserve them for more than a few days.

All the oxygen and moisture are removed from the container during vacuum packing, which slows down the processes that cause food to spoil.

Kale chips should not be vacuum-packed in a plastic bag because this can easily crush them.

You can choose from two additional possibilities, though.

With an appropriate storage container, such as these vacuum seal storage containers from Lasting Freshness, you can use a hand vacuum.

Although it won’t be the strongest vacuum because it is manual, the chips’ shelf life will be extended by one or two weeks.

The other choice is to go all out and employ a vacuum sealing device that operates automatically.

This Food Saver vacuum machine comes with various suitable attachments, including a jar kit that enables the vacuum sealing of mason jars. Therefore I highly suggest it.

You can use this device to vacuum seal a mason jar that contains kale chips.

Your kale chips should remain fresh for months because of the strong vacuum it creates.

Do Kale Chips Need to be Refrigerated?

The refrigerator is not the proper place to store kale chips. Because of the chilly temperatures and additional moisture in the air, storing them in the refrigerator will make them soggy very soon.

Instead, keep them in a paper bag at room temperature.

When you season kale chips with a perishable ingredient (such as cheese) and intend to preserve them for more than a few hours, that’s the only time you should put them in the refrigerator.

Although the chips will become soggy, becoming sick from microorganisms on the seasoning is preferable to this.

How Long will Baked Kale Chips Stay Fresh?

Although kale chips are best consumed immediately, they will stay crisp and fresh for two to three days if stored in a cold, dry environment. The chips will probably only last one to two days in humid climates like Jacksonville or Houston before going mushy.

In humid environments, a few simple techniques, such as adding dried rice to the storage container, can help extend the shelf life of kale chips.

How do you Fix Soggy Kale Chips?

Nobody desires to consume a mass of limp kale chips. Fortunately, crisping them back up again is simple.

Spread soggy kale chips thinly and re-bake them at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 10 minutes to repair them.

The chips should begin to crisp up again as they cool. Put them back in the oven for five minutes if they don’t.

You should only reheat as much as you intend to consume because doing it a second time won’t yield the same results.

You may re-crisp your kale chips using a dehydrator if you have one.

How to Tell When Kale is Bad?

Kale can easily be identified as being past its peak. Indicators to watch out for include discoloration, wilting, or sentimentality.

Deep green, firm, and crisp are the characteristics of fresh kale. The stems must be robust and wet. Of course, throw out your kale immediately if it smells unpleasant or is beginning to mold.

How to Thaw Kale?

Typically, frozen kale doesn’t need to be thawed before use; you can combine it with the other ingredients in your smoothie, add it to soup or stew, or throw it into pasta sauce.

However, if you need to fast defrost a large kale, submerge the bag or bowl in a cup of cool water.

Can you Eat Kale Stems?

Priorities first, The stems of kale and collards are fibrous, rough, and chewy. Even if we occasionally love raw kale or collard salad, the stems should never be consumed that way. Otherwise, they will become bitter and impossible to chew since the exteriors will burn before the stems are fully cooked.

What to do Before Freezing Kale?

You can quickly freeze kale in recipes that don’t call for fresh kale, such as green smoothies. Much simpler than you may imagine. I’ve got four options for you and a couple of recipes.

You must properly wash and dry the kale before using one of the following techniques to freeze it (you can pat it dry between two clean kitchen towels).

Separate the kale leaves from one another and thoroughly clean the groves when washing. The wavy leaves of kale make it simple for dirt to hide.

Additionally, since the kale stems can be rather fibrous and difficult to chew, depending on how you plan to use the kale (see my notes throughout the rest of this piece), you might want to remove them.

If you plan to purée the kale or use it in subsequent soups and stews, you can choose to leave the stems on.

Conclusion

All people should eat kale as a vegetable. Your frozen kale can be consumed in various dishes, such as salads and smoothies. To give your favorite cuisine an extra kick, you can even add it to it. We hope our advice will help you eat healthier food and live a more sustainable lifestyle.