# How do you prepare Kale?



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I've read it was nutritious; but I've never eaten it. So I purchased a bunch yesterday and would like to prepare it.

What is the best way to prepare it for dehydration?

What is the best way to "bake" it?

Any ideas would be helpful. Thank you.


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

I found a recipe for kale. Dry it, spritz oil, garlic and cheese on it. Don't think that's what you asked for. If you want recipe, I'll post.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I just went searching for a thread on kale from last year where I posted some recipes, but of course I can't find it! 

I love kale in many different forms. I chiffonade smaller leaves it and mix it with balsamic vinegar and a little salt, eat it as a salad which is also delicious thrown on a hot cheese pizza. I often slice it thin, saute with onions and garlic and mix in scrambled eggs. It is great on burgers when chiffonaded as well. I will saute it with chard (I think it's too strong on it's own) with garlic as a side dish. 

Do you know what kind of kale you bought? If it's the basic curly edged one often in the grocery store, it's best thrown in soups. Kale in soup was my introduction to kale, I only ate it that way for years until we started growing lots of other varieties. 

Lots of people make kale chips, but I didn't like them so much.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

I bought a chopped salad in a bag that had kale, cabbage, carrots with some pepitos, sunflower seeds and craisens for garnish and poppy seed dressing. It was delish.

When I buy the bunches from the grocery store, I tear the greens off the stems by hand. I like to cook some chopped onion in bacon fat, then add the kale to the pan with a tiny bit of water to wilt. After it softens some, add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Sometimes, I cut up an apple and cook it with the greens. 

I haven't dried any yet, just eaten it fresh.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

MO Cows brought up a good point, make sure to tear the leaves off the stems, they are very tough. 

I am planning on dehydrating kale this year. We lost most of our overwintering crop that usually keeps us in kale all winter and spring. I'm a little concerned the leaves will brown and disintegrate as they'll do that if the saute pan gets to hot. 

Anyone dehydrate kale? Any tips?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I blanched mine. 30 seconds I think. They stay nice and green but they do break easily. Cut out the leaf ribs before blanching. I used a regular dehydrator. After drying I crumbled the leaves as I added them to the storage jar.

Otherwise, stir fried with bacon or ham crumbles and scrambled eggs. YUM When stir frying, cut into smaller pieces.


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

I bake it into kale chips. Wash and thoroughly dry kale. Tear leaves into chip sized pieces. Gently toss with just a little olive oil and salt, massaging to coat the leaves evenly. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes at 350. Check during baking and remove any chips that are crispy. Keep baking the rest until they're not soft anymore.

I like fresh kale sautÃ©ed as a side dish or cooked in soup with potatoes and spicy sausage.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I like all kind of kales and am growing some wild kales from Territorial Seeds this year. Like other posters, it is good in many dishes like soup. Just realize that you want to add to recipe towards the end rather than at the beginning so it doesn't over cook. I will try to also have some Lacinato growing for chips and Russian red too. IMO all kale is good kale. Advice- it can affect the blood if someone is on blood thinners. Talk with dr. on how to incorporate into diet if this applies. 

Also the flavor of kale really improves when the weather gets cooler. :heh:


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks everyone. I now have many ideas as to how to make use of Kale. The variety I found at the store is the curly type. I didn't know there was any other type but will look next time. 

I took the stems out of the batch I bought Friday and coated part of it in Balsamic Vinegar; then dehydrated it. Wow was it good...making a nice snack! I also took some of it and coated it in olive oil with garlic, placing it on a cookie sheet in my oven. I forgot about it and it burned to charcoal! That will teach me to set the timer!


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## Yellowmug (Aug 7, 2012)

In the winter, we mostly eat it in soup. I love that it can hold up for a long time, or you can add it at the end (a little tougher, but still good). I use it in place of spinach in my version of spanikopita (kaleokopita?). Kale chips in the oven. Sauteed with bacon. Sauteed with onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Put a whole chicken in the slow cooker, with carrots, onion, garlic, and add torn kale about the last hour or so (I smush it down under the chicken to soak up the juices). 

If you cook all day in a slow cooker with some broth, maybe garlic and onion, you can blend it to make a nice green soup that is smooth. Add a little acid, and spices can vary, you can make it Italian-esque, or more Asian w/ginger, a little sesame oil, etc.

In the spring, I love it raw. I make a rubbed or massaged kale salad--a little vinegar or lemon juice added to it--with chopped apple. Yum!!

Three years ago I planted maybe 6 kale plants. Last year, I planted 20 or so. This year, I have 6 varieties and too many plants to count. Good stuff!


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Many great ideas! Thanks everyone.


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## AlienChick (Feb 13, 2012)

Wow. Lots of great ideas here!
We grow a LOT of kale (we love it) as well as other greens.
We enjoy sautÃ©ing the kale in some butter with fresh pressed garlic, salt/pepper and sometimes I'll add slices of onion.
SautÃ© only a few minutes. TASTY!


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## wogglebug (May 22, 2004)

The stalks ARE too tough too eat as is, but the answer is simple. Line up a handful of them after you've removed the leaves, then slice very finely into disks. From there, anything is possible. Cook with the leaves, eat as salad, make soup, make sauerkraut or kimchi, whatever.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

We have eaten kale every day this week as it is growing like mad in the garden while everything else is still itty bitty. We have volunteer kale all over the place, including an area that looks like it is cover cropped with kale! The leaves are and inch or so long and have been great in salads. 

I agree with wogglebug, I think kale is best when stripped off the stem and sliced thin. DH tends to leave it in chunks which is much chewier. 

Trying to remember how we ate it this week; in salads, piled high in strips on a burger (hopefully counteracting the bacon!), sauteed and mixed in scrambled eggs, thrown in a beef fried rice leftover dish and on my lunch sandwiches.


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips Recipe

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real...-chips-recipe-ze0z1405zcov.aspx#axzz32HMNarxH


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## MarkP (Jan 5, 2009)

I came across this delicious salad recipe with an interesting step to make the kale tender. I've used it with the large leaves of kale or the chopped bagged kale, and it works with both. 

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/massaged-kale-and-craisin-salad-with-feta-cheese/


Trudy


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

I love, love, love kale chips. Wash and tear the leaves off the thick stems. Splash on a little olive oil and your favorite seasoning (I use Lowry's seasoned salt). Bake at 350 for roughly 10 minutes. Watch them carefully and check frequently because they go from done to burned in a heartbeat.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

MarkP, I'm going to get the fixings for that recipe and try it by next weekend. I've wild kale mix and one big Lacinato to experiment with.


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## FeralFemale (Apr 10, 2006)

Brown some country style pork ribs in a heavy large pot. Remove and saute chopped onions and garlic. Add the pork and enough stock (or water with boullion cubes/gel) to cover ribs by an inch or two. Bring to a boil, add a big bag (or equiv) of prepped kale and reduce to simmer. Salt/pepper to taste. Cook until ribs are done and stock reduced . Serve over brown rice.

If that seems like too much work, just dump all ingredients in together at same time and bring up to a boil, simmer until done, serve over rice. That is my quick weeknight prep.


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## RubyJane (Apr 23, 2014)

I eat a low carb diet and use kale in place of noodles in soup. It is perfect!


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## iti_oj (Jul 15, 2014)

I bake kale chips at 400 with the door ajar for 10-15ish minuets. I salt and pepper them and paint oil on them before cooking. I add nutritional yeast after they cook. I store in paper bags. 

I like kale in soups as well. OR in salads with chicken. Of course winter kale is best.

sauteed with garlic is good too.


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## Kristabelle (May 25, 2014)

We eat kale in all sorts of ways. The fella is SUPER picky about greens but actually ate this yesterday:

I used about 3/4 of a bag of prepared kale (it was on sale)

I diced up about 5-6 slices of bacon and fried it until it was about half way done. To that I added 2 lrg cloves of finely minced garlic and a couple pinches of red pepper flakes. I sauteed the garlic and flakes in the bacon in its drippings until they are aromatic and the bacon was nearly crisp. 

At that point, I added my kale and let it wilt down until tender. After carefully folding all the ingredients together, I finished it with a couple pinches of sea salt (to taste). It was a side dish to a veggie main course and made enough for four people with leftovers!


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I'm boiling chicken and plan on adding carrots, onions, some kind of starch, salt, pepper and in the last couple of minutes torn up kale. *wild kale, lacinato and maybe some red Russian. I have some dwarf curly kale but it is only 3/4" high...


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## summerdaze (Jun 11, 2009)

I made Kale chips for the first time while my grandsons were here today. The first batch was made using olive oil and garlic salt. I thought they were a little heavy on the salt, but 3 out of 4 boys didn't have any problems polishing them off. The second batch I made with olive oil and pizza seasoning. I liked them better then the first batch, but when I asked the kids which ones they liked the best, they all cried out "BOTH!" Definitely will be making them again, AND experimenting with seasonings.


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## southrngardngal (Oct 18, 2005)

I make kale soup with cubed potatoes, smoked sausage in chicken broth. Also, tear the kale off the stem and cut into pieces to sautÃ© in olive oil and garlic. My husband and I both like kale. I want to try the chips this winter.


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## Tyler520 (Aug 12, 2011)

They make great additives for that extra punch of nutrition for stews/soups: wash 'em, de-stem 'em, chop 'em and simmer 'em for the last 10 minutes of the cooking process.

They are also good sauteed with bacon, onion, balsamic, etc. as you would do with other sauteed greens, as a side with a cut of pork


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## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

I have been trying to get my honey to eat Kale, I discovered that the different varieties can either be very bitter and strong tasting or more mild.

I planted Red Russian Kale this year and have added it to quiche once chopped and sauteed with onion and garlic.

I tried Mark P's recipe link and my husband LOVES it 

I have made it twice in the past 2 weeks the last time switching things up a bit by using glazed pecans instead of sunflower seeds, raisins instead of craisins, and gorgonzola instead of feta. I am so happy to see my husband eating this. I caught him eating a bowl for a snack  Thank you for posting Mark P.!


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## MarkP (Jan 5, 2009)

Glad someone tried (and enjoyed) the kale salad recipe. It is so delicious and, like you said, can be changed up depending on what one has on hand.


Trudy


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Well, with all these wonderful recipies, I'm still having trouble getting my kale to taste good...either I overcook it or over season it or maybe I just don't have the right type of kale. (The only kale I've found in stores so far has been the curly leaf; and I have not discovered any growing wild on my place; or if I have, I don't recognize it.)

Feeling rather hopeless where eating kale is concerned....and I do so want a "healthy" munchy in the evenings......


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## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

Red Russian Kale is a more mild variety. I bought Black Kale at the Farmer's Market and it was too strong and so bitter.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

motdaugrnds said:


> Well, with all these wonderful recipies, I'm still having trouble getting my kale to taste good...either I overcook it or over season it or maybe I just don't have the right type of kale. (The only kale I've found in stores so far has been the curly leaf; and I have not discovered any growing wild on my place; or if I have, I don't recognize it.)
> 
> Feeling rather hopeless where eating kale is concerned....and I do so want a "healthy" munchy in the evenings......


Curly leaf kale is only good for putting in soup (barely) and garnish. Do you have a co-op or farmer's market or anyway to by local veggies? And I don't know if kale really tastes "good", it tastes healthy and robust and something incredible you've grown. "Earthy" might be a good description. Earthy might not always be good


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

We eat kale fresh (in salads), sateed (liked spinach) and dehydrated (both as 'chips' and rehydrated in soups and stews).

I like the fact I can get fresh kale out of our garden as late as New Year's Day. Of course, I have to sweep the snow off of it..... :happy2:


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

With the nighttime temps. going down to freezing the kale is really starting to be good.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Yes, I saw this thread and thought, it's Kale season again! We don't eat much of it in the summer with so many other veggies around and I think it gets tough in the heat. But now it's soup season and there isn't a soup that's not better with kale in it. 

Ours lasts just about through the whole winter, gets to slim pickings in January. But this year I dehydrated some to get us through.


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## MCJam (Dec 27, 2012)

Kale is always sweeter after a frost, but you can fool it in the summer by freezing it first! You can also just freeze a bunch and have it as good as fresh any time.

Pull the leaves, wash if needed shaking off excess water, then just stuff it in plastic grocery bags. Pull off each stalk as it goes in the bag. Once the bag is full, put it in your freezer. the next day, when it is all stiff, crunch the kale in the bag and then transfer to a gallon zip bag. One plastic grocery bag full will yield about one gallon zip bag once crushed and compressed. It shatters into tiny pieces. Does not need blanching or any other processing and will be ready to use at a moments notice. 

We cook it many of the ways already described and our favorite is KALE SOUP made with a nice meaty ham bone, lots of kale, lots of onions, some garlic and a handful or two of oatmeal to give it body, salt and pepper to taste. Thats it and it's very good.


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