How to Freeze Kale, Collards, Chard, Spinach, and Turnip Greens!

What do you do when you have an overabundance of greens in the garden? We find ourselves asking this very questions, every time the seasons change and the weather is just right. And then there are certain times of the year when they are almost impossible to keep around. We have found that the best way to ensure we always have greens in our kitchen is to freeze them. This method will work with kale, collards, swiss chard, spinach, and turnip greens. In fact, the mix of greens in today's video included all of those!
If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below!

[@judiartman1134]

I find that using muffin/cup cake pan’s for freezing works great! Just press the greens into the wells and freeze for an hour. Pop out and store in a baggie. Love your videos! Thank you….

[@DisruptedSinner]

I only recently started freezing left over greens. This is genius - I love the "making pucks" part.

[@georgia6366]

This video changed my life. Not kidding. I been freezing greens from my garden using this steam blanch technique for over two years now. They taste delicious when thawed. Clean up is much easier too because I don't need to squeeze any water from the blanched veggies as with the standard method.

[@debralugar7235]

Thank you! Most people want to boil them and then pour the water off. I was taught in high school home ec that pouring off the water causes loss of nutrients. Steaming does not do that. Thanks again!!

[@heidigilman1941]

I like the hockey puck idea, thank you!

[@plantbasedtnt]

This is genius, especially the molding part. I can't wait to have my own garden and do this! Thank you Gabriel.

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

plantbasedtnt excited for you to be able to have a garden too! ❤️

[@plantbasedtnt]

@Hippychick my garden will be on my balcony this year. Herbs only, but nevertheless.

[@snowbird6855]

This seems rather labour intensive, and as a retired senior, I prefer just to wash, dry, chop, place on trays, freeze then place into medium sized freezer bags, push out the air and store in the freezer. It's so easy to break off some for a smoothie or dump all of it into soup etc.!

[@PrincessAdobo]

Just did this for the first time! You helped me save my money, time, AND my groceries. I was guilty for just letting it spoil and rot over the week. Now I cut my morning smoothie time in half since my greens are easy to throw in! Thank you SO much!

[@scherylwilliams3236]

I also use this method when my basil plants go berserk! I harvest them and use my pesto recipe and make a lot of pesto. I freeze them in silicon cupcake muffin "tins" and put them in the freezer. I pop them out and put them in a vacuum sealed bag and I have wonderful pesto all fall and winter until it's time to harvest basil again. Good video, by the way.

[@bageorge5337]

Thank you! This is my first year gardening turnip and kale. I can't believe the amount of greens I've got! I've been using them in everything and sharing with the neighbours, but this is great. Thanks again.

[@lorrainebarnett8389]

I have frozen greens for decades but your puck idea is genius! Thanks for the perfect tweak!

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Lorraine Barnett so glad this helped! ❤️

[@inkling00]

My sister grew radishes & we have so many greens we’re looking for a way to freeze them! Very useful thank you for posting this!

[@dasielin]

Thanks for this video. I never really knew how to freeze greens.

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Linda Siegert so very welcome! ❤️

[@vinss5089]

Watching this video from Mauritius. You are a genius, always wanted to freeze greens never thought it was possible. Thks

[@marietaylor4468]

This is great info since I’m buying a lot more greens per shopping excursion to try to minimize trips to the store. I’ll do this to keep them usable for a longer period of time.

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

so glad this was helpful Marie :)

[@bilvapatra]

mee too!!!

[@rinab4405]

I grow green's for my chicken's!!! BUT ☝️ Tomorrow is my harvest day and I'm going to be freezing AND freeze-drying as well, I think I have enough to can also WITH having enough left for my egg laying ladies. I LITERALLY had a lightbulb moment just tonight!!! THANK YOU for sharing your video!!

[@aidas.huertas3465]

Very smart and helpful to help veggies store properly. Thx for suggestions

[@gloriamackenzie5462]

Just discovered you thru chef aj.you are awesome and what a beautiful little family you have.i am looking forward to trying your recipies.loved this video.i used to just freeze my greens as as well but i like the idea of condensing them to pucks ,sure will help with my small freezer.congrats on your weight loss.thanks for sharing.

[@ItsAnOldCroneLife]

Wow, that's amazing! My eyes bugged out looking at that laundry basket of greens. Wish I could have a garden where I live, because I shop constantly for my greens (which gets expensive). One of these days, this is a goal for me.

[@shalanathomas7751]

Ikr! The expense!!! 🙄

[@Rin_Chawngthu]

Maybe you can do a mini hydroponic system inside your house

[@olgakaydanov]

Freezing greens has always seemed so intimidating, but you made it look easy. Thanks for the instructions, I will try this!

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Olga Kaydanov hope this helped! ❤️

[@nnvananh]

thank you. also for the moulding part i saw some youtube vid about using trays to mould garlic into cubes, looks like would save time

[@DavidinMiami]

I don't know why some folks avoid eating their greens. I love 'em all! So good for you, yes, but also quite tasty. I throw 'em in my rice maker, add a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and leave 'em till they're done. Mmmm.

[@jimmysmall330]

While blanching them before I put the greens in the pot add 1 tsp. To 1 tbls. Of baking SODA to the water to help keep their color

[@shalanathomas7751]

Awesome! Thank you for this 😊

[@hildredhayes5852]

Thanks! I wondered how I could have greens year round. My seeds are in the ground..... can't wait!

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

glad you enjoyed! :)

[@aurawright2130]

Great video! Thank you so much! I have been trying to figure out how to keep up with all of my greens this spring and you have just shown me one great way to do it! Thank you again!

[@warmgreenshade1210]

Thanks for the tip! The chard is really coming in right now.

[@dianekelly3452]

Fantastic video on easy tips. Thank you!

[@GrowHealthTV]

Hello again, the greens compress nicely. Thanks

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Thanks! :)

[@mlang3066]

Great video, thanks… I love that you put out allot of info in a very short time.

[@a.a.7239]

You are great, Thank you for sharing.😀

[@veronicahancock3245]

OMG!!! Thank you so much!!! I have a load of mustard greens and you have just made me smile with the anticipation of a little easier process! I can not say thank you enough! Subscribing and liking video now!

[@lovesunjusticeova5829]

Excellent thanks for sharing

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

love sun justiceova so glad you enjoyed! ❤️

[@luzvimindasamonte6274]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge to us I can now eat green fresh n never spoiled GBY

[@yourhomeisyourbusiness2221]

Great idea!

[@debbiesullivan7269]

Thanks, another fantastic video!

[@smallteach7551]

Thanks so much for making it easy!

[@summermucha5207]

Nice. I’ll try that 👍🏻👍🏻

[@HealthOrigins]

What a great idea Gabriel, really helpful! ❤️👍 What reusable freezer bags are you using?

[@alexiusscott9880]

This is soooooo amazing 🤩!

[@rkamennn]

wonderful! thanks! I was looking for a plastic free way to save all my swiss chard! I could reuse some plastic ziplocks that I already have or else store the pods in a pyrex lidded container.thanks!

[@nanahooper]

Other sites I watch say to dip them in ice water after steaming. Is there any benefit to doing the extra step?

[@rebeccarekward251]

So helpful

[@joybuller]

Nice job!

[@donnaestrada5722]

Thank you!

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Welcome :)

[@Nante253]

Love 💕 the ideas 💡

[@rt200923]

Great Idea thank you..

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Robin T thanks! ❤️

[@lucyshepherd5668]

so are these frozen molds able to be used for a salad? how you do un freeze them for a salad?

[@GouletJohnny]

I am doing this right now. I'll let you know how it goes!

[@stacylynn4414]

So you only steam, not blanch? Also, do you cold bath them after you steam? I didnt see you drain them so Im asuming with the steaming, they continue to cook/wilt as theyre cooling? Thanks for the video

[@duskmoss]

Hello before you start can you go guess what type of tree I have on my channel

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Dusk Moss sounds great

[@bilvapatra]

This is such a joy to know! One qs though: when you take them out of that pot and pack them into the one-third cup, is the spinach or greens hot/warm or room temp? need to know that, please. Delighted!

[@janelljohnsonpersonalaccou6737]

I've always frozen mine without steaming them first. They seem fine to use that way. I'd love to know If I should be steaming them first for some reason.

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Janell Johnson/Personal Account the reason we do is to save freezer space. We keep around 100 pounds of greens frozen at a time and need it condensed ❤️

[@user-vt7vh9qi5e]

Good question, which is mine also.

[@lesliejacobs1439]

Many sites will state the cooking process stop enzymes ...that action keeps the product retain their nutrients .

[@JulieFilter]

What pots are those?!?! 😍😍😍😍😍. They look amazing!

[@mfishe1]

I hope u guys are washing them prior to steaming.

[@veggedout1030]

Puck yeah 🌱👊🏻

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Vegged Out ❤️

[@richardscarlett7942]

you need to ice bath them after steaming / boiling them. Keeps them from continuing to cook, get slimey

[@nicolettekadiri8059]

Did you wash them greens? I soak my greens for some hours, sometimes 24 hours, but this time I am also going to freeze them as well, and after I soak them, I rinse them - git off all thise pesticides, then I will freeze them.

[@Henecia.A-Maria]

So they can keep frozen for a couple months? Or what's the longest they can be in the freezer?

[@skipwavedx5151]

I was just thinking, I have a hamburger press & mold that would work great for that!

[@blessed2878]

So if want to eat as salad, how to to that? Let sit out for awhile? Are they mushy then?

[@sharonmckee2403]

Question: I have a small crop… can I blanch, freeze… and when I have enough ‘pressure can’ them?

[@ninjaturtle6106]

But what if you just freeze them fresh without steaming them?

[@YT4Me57]

Did you wash those greens?! 😮

[@Rin_Chawngthu]

Will they taste weird after they're thawed or when cooked?

[@suzannedesylva3805]

Is that bigger pot cooking the greens still further?

[@SomeStuff9]

I bought a big bag of spinach to freeze but was going to freeze it raw. Why cook or blanch them first? Wondering what considerations I should make before freezing them.

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

SomeStuff we freeze around 100 pounds of greens and need to condense it to save space. By steaming and compressing it down we are able to store a lot more.

[@dr.lucikidd2208]

@@PlantBasedGabrielAlso, I do believe that if you just directly freeze the greens they will be a little tough -mostly my experience w kale.

[@marydickey3404]

Do you rinse before you begin the process?

[@davidjustice4029]

You wouldn't happen to have the link where you puchased your cooking equipment would you?

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

that's awesome, i usually do a mix of green but have always boiled them which leads to lots and lots of draining....steaming seems like a non-drain way to go...so i'm seeing you put in the stems too... mine often are too woody to do that so I cut out. are you able to do that since those are a more tender green or ? thanks

[@lmk9487]

did you prewash greens?

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

LM K these cake straight from our garden, but I definitely would if I was using store bought ❤️

[@markstoll9636]

hi is it necessary to steam the vegetables? after all doesnt steaming the veggies take away some of their nutrients?

[@jimsgardenproject3507]

Have you ever fermented those greens like cabbage for slaw?

[@Denise-ei2pu]

Do you wash your greens after coming out of the garden?

[@pammiestewart1419]

I was told my a friend, fill the washer add the greens, No 🧼 Soap agitate gently. Scoop up them greens, cut steam, mold . Well i put mine on spin cycle BAD IDEA😝

[@anthonyheery7907]

Hi Gabriel, if you are going to be using the greens in smoothies, is it better to steam them first or just puree them raw and then freeze them

[@AA-hy6dz]

I freeze blanched greens and fresh greens. I find washing the greens tedious more than blanching . So do we need to wash before blanching or steaming? Thx.

[@lauradewoody8587]

We have always had issues with worms on our greens- do you net yours to keep the bugs off??

[@robynmize4713]

use packed silicone muffin pans... in the freezer.

[@teenalagree494]

Did you salt the water that you steamed the greens with? The container on the counter near your stove top looks like salt and I just want to make sure I'm not missing a step. I love this video, I never knew how to do this and it will prevent waste!

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

Teena Lagree I do not salt the water, that is just where we keep the sea salt ❤️

[@TakingNotesTalkingGrace]

Do you remove the stems to any variety? Are all variety of stems safe to eat?

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

I do not, but you definitely can :)

[@erinvaughn3739]

Can you freeze them without cooking them ?

[@kim_858]

??? Why are we steaming them...🤔 I just wash, spin dry, and freeze..

[@rebeccamartin6249]

What was the 2nd pot used for

[@annakarolinapeters9872]

Once you steam it you put it in a bigger pot to cook I notice . Do you put some water in it and how long do you cook it for after steaming ?

[@mdee9337]

Nah ... I think he's put it in their to cool n keep Cooking in residual heat

[@bettyhubbard6305]

Did you wash those greens

[@HealthyLifestyleSolutions1]

Your harvest is incredible. Do they have to be steamed before cooking? Very creative. When we freeze store bought kale it is easy to use in smoothie. Your kale looks hardy.

[@l.p.5177]

My greens are full of little dots in the garden. I think they get eaten by bugs. What do you recommend for growing them in the garden?

[@aqua4497]

L P .... You have to buy vegetable spray for bugs from your stores and follow instructions. It's not good to carry on with aphids or damaged veggies. Even fruit trees have to be sprayed so fruits come clean and healthy.

[@Aquarius.Essence313]

❤🖤💚

[@okiecamy]

So basically you are blanching them?!

[@moniquetrescott4437]

do you wash the greens before steaming?

[@annmeeks2698]

If you don’t wash them they will have grit (sand or something).

[@PreachTheTruth]

You should watch Vegans Epitome of mal nutrition on youtube before it's too late man. God bless.

[@chymes8038]

Hi Chris prepaid, an less eat.