Seasonality
Varieties
Varieties we grow and love:
Storage
As always, fresh produce is most delicious and nutritious when consumed as close to the harvest date as possible.
Kale is a powerhouse food: lots of vitamins K, C, A, manganese, copper AND is also full of vitamin B6, fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamins E, and B2; it is also a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin B1 & B3, omega-3 fats, phosphorus, protein, and folate.
The closer to harvest you consume this, the more of all these vitamins and minerals will be available. Kale will keep easily for a week and really quite fine through the second week. However, kale will get limp very quickly on a hot, dry day. if this is the case, be sure to revive it by soaking in cold water for an hour. The you may shake off the excess water and store in plastic bag in fridge.
Kale also freezes well.
Culinary Info
– can be enjoyed in:
- salad
- smoothies
- soups
- snack crisps
Tips for preparing:
- fill a pot with cold water, plunge entire bunch up and down in water to remove all the possible dirt. May require a change of water depending on the field conditions.
- remove thick stems by holding stem end in one hand and then grasping base of leafy part and stripping the leafy part off the stem as you pull it through your fingers. This is a very quick process. Chop or tear apart as you like.
- Kale is great in salads, BUT, it really needs to get thoroughly covered with whatever dressing you are using to break down the tougher, leathery nature of kale leaves – best achieved by tossing the salad by hand and massaging the leaves, if you will.
- Raw kale is high in oxalic acid and also contains compounds that can interfere with your body’s (specifically your thyroid) absorption of iodine. It may not be a great idea to consumer huge amounts of raw kale every day…please do your own research and be aware of your own special needs. Check out goitrogens.
- Many people find blanching their kale for 2 minutes (be sure to stop the cooking with a cold water bath) to tenderize before using in smoothies or salads. If you are trying to significantly reduce goitrogens, you need to steam or blanch for 6-8 minutes.
Also check out these great recipes:
