I love to freeze kale to have on hand all winter long. It’s so easy to preserve and then you have a quick way to sneak all the benefits of this superfood into a plethora of dishes. Once you’ve done the initial prep work for freezing kale it makes creating healthy meals down the road that much easier.
![girl holding a bushel of kale](http://pantryinthepines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/How-to-freeze-kale-R-461x1024.jpg)
Where This Kale Came From
This beautiful kale was a gift from my sister. We moved last fall and this spring we had so many projects to do that our garden was a fraction of its usual size. That suited me just fine as we had our hands full with landscaping and moving animals. This year we harvested only cabbage, a few potatoes, tomatoes, green beans and sunflowers from our garden. The sunflowers were initially only for beauty but has turned into a very fun and educational project for the crew. I had the boys research how to harvest the sunflower seeds to feed to the birds this winter and they took the job seriously. They check them for the right coloring, then hang them in our shed to dry. I honestly don’t know all the details because they are handling the endeavor solely. It’s a homeschool mothers dream come true!!
Back to Kale. I didn’t have any of this beautiful superfood in my own garden, but not to worry, my sister across our valley had some to spare. So, one Saturday morning while the boys were hunting, the girls and I drove over to her garden and harvested the last of her kale. I was so excited because I love adding kale to all sorts of recipes. Some of my favorites are egg bakes, skillet dishes and soups. My favorite kale soup recipe will be added shortly and I’ll make sure to link it to this post once it is created.
Why Freeze Kale
Freezing kale is a favorite of mine because it is so easy. I only have so much time, so I want my preserving efforts to produce the biggest bang for their buck and freezing kale definitely fits the bill. You can easily prepare and store this crop with no fancy gadgets or kitchen tools. I usually like to use the Ziplock brand of freezer bags because they are BPA free. This time I just had Great Value brand on hand but they’ll do the trick. This kale won’t last long in my freezer as I use it on a regular basis. I did just notice that Aldi’s Boulder brand totes the same attribute, so I will be adding those to my next grocery list. So far this year I have only froze corn, a celery/onion/pepper mix, and kale. I will still be freezing a bunch of venison that I hope to be harvested soon, as well as butternut squash, so I will need to restock.
I particularly love having kale on hand for it’s health benefits. We are always told to eat our greens and I personally will choose kale over spinach any day, especially cooked. Spinach in soup is not my favorite as is always seems slimy no matter how small I chop it. Also, my kids have no aversion to eating kale so I “hide” it in as many recipes as I can. My no-green-vegetable eating husband tolerates kale, which is saying a lot for him! Kale is chock full of vitamins and minerals that are essential for optimum health. It has cancer fighting properties and even specific nutrients that help your eyes. It’s also very low calorie so you can add it without regret!
How to Freeze Kale
Freezing kale is just so simple. First, wash it. I just fill my sink with cold water, submerge my kale, and then rinse each individual leaf. Gardening and harvesting organic vegetables is not for the faint of heart. There will be dirt and bugs. If you don’t want the added protien to your meals then wash thoroughly! Once rinsed, then you can pat them dry or leave them out on some towels to drip dry. Unless I’m in a rush, I always just let air and gravity do their thing and a couple hours after I have plopped them on their drying area, they are good to go.
Pull all the leaves off the stem. The stem is bitter and woody. Not appetizing! At this point you can decide to chop your kale before you bag it or leave it in larger pieces. If you are using it for smoothies then the larger size would not be a problem, but for ease of use in soups and casseroles I like to chop my before I bag it.
![hand holding bag being filled with kale](http://pantryinthepines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/How-to-freeze-kale-R2-461x1024.jpg)
Now just fill your bags. I used quart size freezer bags. You could use gallon freezer bags or a vacuum sealer if you have one. I just get out as much air as I possibly can and you’re good to go. Food preserved for winter without even breaking a sweat!
How to Freeze Kale Summery
Harvest it.
Wash it and let dry.
Remove leaves from the stems.
Chop, if desired, and stuff into freezer bags.
Remove as much air as possible, seal the bag, and label with date.
Enjoy delicious kale all year round!
![Six freezer bags filled with kale on white counter](http://pantryinthepines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/How-to-freeze-kale-R3-1024x461.jpg)
This kale will last in your freezer for a good 6 months and still retain all of those health benefits that it possess. Just pull a bag out, dump it into your recipe and you’ve added health and wellness to your whole family. We just have to keep making one good decision at a time and here is one that isn’t too intimidating.
Even if you don’t have a garden, you can grow your own kale next year. I promise you, with even a few plants you will have an abundance to fill your freezer as well as eat on a daily basis. You could just grow a couple of these bountiful plants in some pots and add it into your meal plan as often as you wish. If you do have a garden, make sure you have kale in your plans for next year.
Sorry about your no greens hubby preference! I did try!😉
Definitely putting a kale plant in the garden next year! Can’t wait to try the recipes!
Girl! The soup recipe looks so yummy and I was thinking while reading, “I can freeze kale?” (not gonna lie – preserving food was never something I was taught so I am learning all the things) and then…lookie there, a post on freezing kale! Thank you! Recipe Printed. Tucking this tip into my back pocket for next year (because you can only eat so much kale during the summer months!) and walking away happy! ❤️
Yes!!! It takes a village, doesn’t it?!