Last year I planted kale for the first time. The nice thing about kale is that it can grow in colder temperatures. We had a mild winter so our kale made it threw. However, last fall I did freeze some kale just in case the plants did not make it threw the cold.
Like most vegetables, kale needs to be blanched before freezing. Vegetables contain enzymes that need to be destroyed before freezing. The other key to freezing vegetables is to use extremely fresh vegetables and to cool immediately after blanching.
First wash the kale and remove any thick stems. Bring a pot of water to a rolling bowl. Add the kale and immediately start a timer for 2 minutes. You do not want the kale to boil longer than 2 minutes so start that timer as soon as it hits the water.
Have a bowl of ice water ready to dunk the hot kale in once the timer goes off. Cooling the greens immediately will prevent it from over cooking. It should only take about 2 to 3 minutes to cool the kale.
Once the kale is cool, drain well and place in freezer bags or use a foodsaver. I packaged in portion sizes for adding to soup. When you want to use the kale, just place the frozen kale into soups or the dish you are making. It will defrost quickly!
You can use this same process for fresh spinach! By the way, if you have not tried kale chips, you need to make some and give it a go!
This recipe may be linked at I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Two Maids Milking, The Saturday Evening Pot, Permanent Posies, 33 Shades of Green, Blackberry Vine , Polka Dots on Parade, Southern Lovely, Crystal & Comp, Tatertots & Jello
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Thank you very much for sharing this, I just had to throw out a bunch of fresh spinach because it went bad. I will definitely be using this trick from now on. Thanks again! :)
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