How to Pick and Freeze Kale - A Full Guide with Nutrition Info, Health Benefits & Tutorial

[@microclues327]

Finding this video was a gold mine of epic proportions for me. into my 3rd yr of backyard gardening and 1st yr of kale growing. / I now see the wisdom of storing kale for yr round. Who said Organic food was expensive. :-) THANK YOU so much for this thorough but very simple analysis. Loved all the little factoids along the way. Will be looking at more of your vid's. TY TY TY

[@Healthytarian]

How wonderful to receive your beautiful feedback! Thank you for sharing your garden experience and this comment. It is so much appreciated :)

[@johnspaulding6431]

A

[@rhondalees4]

Start at 3:30 for instruction - wash and shake excess waterand to drain on towel for an hour. Place in high quality freezer ziplock bag either whole or chopped or leaves stripped off stem. For smoothies can keep stalk on or off. If leaves stripped off stalk, easier to store and fit in bag. Squeeze air out and use ziplock to air seal bag. Place in freezer. To use, break off a chunk. Can be stored up to 6 months.

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks for providing a summary for those who feel they do not have the time or desire to watch the whole video.

[@nicolerichards38]

Thank you so very much!!

[@teetrav]

Thank you!!!

[@tclodfelter8789]

THANK YOU!!!

[@lidiaadobato7822]

Now I know. Thanks! I'm always rather hesitant about what to freeze, for how long, ... Wonderful to learn from someone who has the experience.

[@Healthytarian]

Glad it was helpful and thank you for your nice comment. It is a pleasure to help :)

[@monteziggler3776]

If you are somebody that is searching 'how to freeze kale', definitely don't need an explainer on why leafy veggies are good for you. Very superfluous intro

[@Healthytarian]

My title clearly explains that this is a "full guide" with other info included. If the title didn't suit your needs, there was no need to watch it.

[@nanaj93]

very well said. A lot of information but presented in a very interesting way. Thank you and keep it up.

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure and thank you for your great feedback.

[@kenfarley957]

I appreciate your clear concise speaking voice. That is becoming a lost art.

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you! I appreciate your kind comment, Ken, as that is also becoming a lost skill.

[@user-lk5vt4hf1o]

very informative!!! Thanks so much

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome, Nick.

[@obehioyakhire3230]

Thank you so much for this video; very practical guide.

[@Healthytarian]

You're very welcome! And thank you for your kind comment.

[@mikewilson4141]

This is my first year growing Kale, and I’m loving it ! Thank you for the information, you are very informative and did a great job ! And pretty too ! Thank You

[@Healthytarian]

That is great to hear Mike, I hope you have a great harvest :) And thank you so much for your kind feedback. It means a lot!

[@karenbrozic6959]

Wonderfull thank you. I have so much in the summer. Now i will enjoy my own greens with no work at all.

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome, Karen, and thank you for your nice comment.

[@donnabann9838]

Really well presented. Totally trust this food preparer. Bet she makes good food!

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you for your feedback Donna!

[@nickuk911]

Excellent, nice and clear, so i do not need to blanch first, i never realized!

[@Healthytarian]

Glad it was helpful, Nick. Thank you for your feedback, and that is correct. The less we interfere with our food and the less we process our food with heat, the better in the long run.

[@AnaLopez-gx7li]

Dear Healthytarian, you just gave me an education. Alot of very smart tips. Can not thanked you enough. Super smart video. Thanks.

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you so much for your nice comment and feedback Ana! It is people like yourself who I make these videos for. People who wish to learn and be provided with as much info as possible for a full understanding.

[@AnaLopez-gx7li]

@@Healthytarian You are welcome. Thanks.

[@ayubshaikh9297]

Simply amazing 👌 Very helpful information. Thanks so much.

[@Healthytarian]

That is so great to hear. Thank you for sharing your nice feedback with me.

[@susangage9140]

Excellent guide! Thank you

[@Healthytarian]

Appreciate your feedback Susan, thank you!

[@amandademandy]

Thank you so much for your video....You deliver the information refreshingly simple and to the point, great :-))))....I will be freezing my fist batch in the morning!

[@Healthytarian]

How beautiful to hear. Thank you so much for your great feedback!

[@yellowyellow8513]

Thank you so much I was so wondering how I frezzingl my kale thank you for all this information you give it to us

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome Sonia.

[@yellowyellow8513]

Healthytarian 🍉🌷🌷🌷🌷💝💝💝

[@sandyjonesrigby4422]

Very informative. Thank you so much. Off to prep my Kale!!!

[@Healthytarian]

Wonderful to hear Sandy :) Thanks so much for sharing your feedback.

[@SooperFlye]

Wow, I found this channel by accident, but I've been storing my kale in the freezer for years and never knew one can do this without blanching.

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks for sharing your feedback.

[@evaswan2099]

Blanching makes it last longer

[@brookerun7634]

Wonderful thanks !

[@Healthytarian]

Great to hear you enjoyed it Brooke, thank you!

[@Younkof345]

Thank you for your information.

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome! Thank you for your nice comment.

[@williamlaine2116]

It's nice to see that you have Savoy cabbage! It is not in markets I visit, so I try to grow it myself. Doesn't kale keep longer, if one blanches it before freezing?

[@Healthytarian]

Hello William and thank you for your comment. The topic of "blanching" has actually been addressed several times in the comments here that will come up if you do a search for that term. In summary, you do not need to blanch or worry about it keeping longer, as the kale will still last in its frozen form for weeks or months, throughout a winter season for example, if that is as long as one needs to store it, without any blanching. The point is that freezing already causes some nutritional damage, so we don't want to damage our food any further and decrease its nutritional content or health properties by subjecting it to BOTH extreme heat and extreme cold. Sometimes ideas just get passed around about a certain process that everyone thinks is needed, when in reality it is not.

[@williamlaine2116]

@@Healthytarian Not blanching saves a lot of work & time! I read that leaving kale in the garden until a frost can improve its flavor, so I did, but I found my kale was wilting from a low of 24 F!

[@Healthytarian]

@@williamlaine2116 Yes, the idea of leaving one's kale for the frost is a bit misleading because almost any leaves exposed to frost will get damaged. You need to be sure that the kale plants are covered if they are being exposed to colder temperatures and not allow the direct frost to damage them. Also, there is a limit up to what temperature they can handle before they get destroyed by the cold (frost/freezing). So keep all this in mind if you choose to experiment with that. My recommendation is just to pick our kale at its prime, and not wait for some future time that may or may not work for it, and freeze accordingly for best overall results.

[@rosalvamartinez582]

Thank you for sharing this important information. I hadn't seen a new video in a while.

[@Healthytarian]

You are most welcome, and yes, it has been a busy time with my other health and wellness related work, but I've got lots of new videos coming here this fall :)

[@ivaknezevic6752]

Very nice

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks, Iva!

[@jaynefox6955]

Interesting video and really helpful

[@Healthytarian]

Glad you liked it! Thank you so much for your nice feedback, Jayne.

[@dzs1945]

Thank you!!!! We have a LOT of kale that is waiting to be used!

[@Healthytarian]

Excellent, enjoy and thank you for watching!

[@lur9017]

Thank you so much. It's really easy to do.

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome, and thank you for your comment.

[@elimdutoit9526]

Great! Thanks!

[@Healthytarian]

You're welcome, and thank you for watching.

[@genericeric0102]

I use a beverage straws placed in the corner of the ziplock bag with the zipper zipped all the way except where the straw is and I vacuum the air out and slowly draw the straw out as I'm zipping the bag locked. you are vacuuming the air out with the straw in your mouth.

[@donaldfafard]

see my post above, *eric*. maybe since kale takes up a lot of air space both our methods could be used in conjunction. of course, you could just buy a vacuum sealer like i have and solve the problem altogether... lol. '

[@genericeric0102]

AZ DONALD straw are cheap and vacuum sealer bags are expensive

[@donaldfafard]

you must not have read my other comment that i referenced about using the sink method. also, vacuum bags are reusable.you just rinse them out, cut off the 1/2 inch that was sealed, and you can reuse one bag many times over making it probably cheaper than freezer quality zip locs. either way, read my other comment elsewhere, my statement was an improvement to your zip lock method which i will occasionally use. -

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks for watching and sharing your method Eric.

[@davannisj.donaldson5539]

Omg, I thought that I was the only person that did that straw trick.

[@נתנאלשר-ה9ד]

wow this was great, in Israel I don't find Kale a lot, and there'r big difference between kale yield , so next time I find great yield of kale I'm gonna buy tones of it , so much preffered over other green leafy vegs.

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you for your feedback and sharing about your experience in Israel.

[@navajo6931]

I love kale

[@Healthytarian]

Great to hear! Thanks for watching.

[@Backpacker1uk]

Always thought you had to blanch nice information thank you

[@shamarab4632]

It may be bitter later if you don't blanch

[@Backpacker1uk]

@@shamarab4632 Thanks. I always mix with potato and onion liven the taste up a bit

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome! And that is correct, you do not have to blanch, and destroy the nutrients. The less we interfere with our food, the better.

[@cathyf5670]

Thank you very much for sharing the information

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure, Cathy, and thank you for stopping by to watch it.

[@Baeza2938]

This was a very helpful video! Thanks a bunch:)

[@Healthytarian]

You are most welcome :) Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@clarajones9992]

Grateful for this video. But what bags have you found that works for you please.

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you, Clara. When it comes to plastic freezer bags, there isn't anything special that I have found compared to the common ones. Only now I am starting to see more biodegradable, plant-based plastic bag options available. So those would be the ones to choose when they start to become available as freezer bags.

[@sandykhp]

Clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much for posting this video.

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome, and thank you for your kind feedback!

[@sueegland1232]

Great information. thank you so much

[@Healthytarian]

Wonderful to hear, thank you!

[@michiel2046]

Thank you for your video. You broke it down so well that even us first timers can understand. Two questions, though... should someone rinse their kale with vinegar if they used Sevin Insect Killer Dust on it? And, what's an alternative to Sevin to keep bugs off?

[@Healthytarian]

Hello Michiel. You are very welcome, and thank you for your comment. I would not recommend eating such kale treated with this insecticide, even with a vinegar rinse. Remember, plants have porous skin, like us. They absorb things, like us. So, sure, you can rinse off some things, but **you cannot remove whatever toxins the plant absorbed**. This is why for best health, least cancer risk, liver damange risk, and kidney damange risk, we should be eating fruits and vegetables grown **organically** without harmful or blatantly toxic chemicals. And if you are growing these foods yourself, then absolutely you do not want to be using such toxic substances. It gets onto and into your food, the soil, and eventually your body. Think of how this accumulates in your body over your lifetime, and the damage it does. If it is able to kill small biological life, it is able to hurt large biological life (or outright kill us too in a high-enough dose.) Healthy plants, grown in healthy soils have natural insect repellents. **A few bugs on the food we grow is a sign of a healthy environment, and not something to be eliminated.** If, on the other hand, you have an infestation, then you should be looking at the root of the problem.... is it your soil....is it lack of diversity of plants in your garden.... or some other imbalance in your garden environment. Nature never needed chemicals, such as pesticides or insecticides, until humans made these into money-making industries and destroyed the natural farming processes for factory farms where money rules and the heck with the health of the people and the environment. So if you are eating kale to be healthy, that is wonderful :) But don't add such terrible stress to your body by consuming kale or other vegetables from your garden with toxic chemicals. We cannot control much of what the stores sell us BUT we can control what we grow and make.

[@michiel2046]

@@Healthytarianthank you for the info. It is very helpful.

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome!

[@Metrorenovationsandmore]

I had a question. I came to youtube. Who did I find that answered my question? The girl I call the "master communicator!" Thanks for another, great informative vid!!

[@Healthytarian]

Oh my goodness your comment brought on such a big smile :) Thank you so much for that wonderful feedback and you are so very welcome.

[@lenorehowe7361]

THANK YOU I APPRECIATE THIS VIDEO VERY MUCH;

[@Healthytarian]

You are so very welcome :) Thank you for your nice comment Lenore.

[@mangogoblin3212]

Thank you thank you thank you

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure Keon. And thank you for watching :)

[@priscillagay9663]

Very helpful and nicely presented..thank you. I kept wondering if you were going to mention what you do with the stocks and hoping that you would say you don't throw them out since the socks are valuable, and they hold alot of the nutrition and are good for you..hoping that you use them.

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you for the feedback about the video. As for the stems (stalks), yes, they can definitely be eaten, it just all depends on how we may choose to include them, as they are quite strong tasting and often don't make for green smoothies, as I mostly use my kale. But they can be finely chopped up and steamed.

[@patricicoker5547]

Terrific! Thank you !,

[@Healthytarian]

Glad you liked it! Best wishes to you.

[@dinamarinelarena534]

Wonderful thank you 🙏🏼

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure, and thank you so much Dina for your kind comment.

[@rakkiazima9655]

Very informative, thanks for this! I usually wash my vegies in baking soda solution for about 15 min..is this ok prior to freezing them ?

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you for your feedback. I would just make sure that you rinse your veggies really well with water, getting all of the baking soda off before freezing. Otherwise, it may leave white residue or so on the leves.

[@unguidedone]

wow very well made video

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you for your kind feedback. Much appreciated!

[@CarlB_1962]

Thanks for this helpful, informative video, Evita. Most other videos I've seen about freezing greens suggest blanching them first - can you explain why you don't do this? Many thanks.

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure :) And yes, absolutely. I am a proponent for keeping food as natural and wholesome as possible, and am not a fan of high or prolonged heating methods with or without freezing. I've seen people do blanching for several reasons. One, some want to use the frozen food item for meals, where they want it to have a pre-cooked effect or maintain a certain color, texture, flavor. When greens thaw out, they aren't in the best of shape, so cooking them heavily further isn't ideal. Two, some people want to "sterilize" the food, which to me is not a concern, especially when it is coming from the right sources. In fact, natural homegrown and/or organic food is a natural source of B12. Third, blanching stops the action of enzymes, which can slowly, but nonetheless continue the "breakdown" of certain foods, even when frozen. So it is a common practice for beans and other vegetables. However, blanching does impede the life force and causes nutritional changes. I don't know if it is easy to say whether more nutrients are lost via the blanching and freezing or freezing without blanching with active enzymes, but for me it makes much more sense not to blanch, and stick with the natural form as is. The kale gets lost in the smoothies so I cannot comment much on its flavor/texture changes. But I've had frozen broccoli by the bags last year and found it to be perfect still in meals with no loss of color, texture or flavor. Hope that helps :)

[@CarlB_1962]

Healthytarian Thanks for your comprehensive reply, Evita. Instinctively I have never blanched greens prior to freezing and I completely agree with your reasoning. I value and appreciate the clarity on health and nutritional issues that your videos provide.

[@Healthytarian]

You are most welcome :)

[@tennesseenana4838]

If you don't want to use the stocks for food - they're excellent for your compost.

[@Healthytarian]

Yes, indeed!

[@aquillabelltheagitator7269]

THANK YOU... PEACE AND BLESSINGS

[@Healthytarian]

And to you as well, thanks!

[@vashakanaga5324]

Amazing

[@Healthytarian]

That is very kind of you, thank you!

[@HeyWatchMeGo]

Good video!

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you!

[@gracelilyyoshua328]

Thank you ya 😘

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure!

[@tamimaybin1328]

I collect all my kale stems and veggie cut offs from meal prep and make veggie broth in instant pot and freeze it for when I need it.

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Tami!

[@MinkesMom]

((( THANK YOU !!! ))) My fav food is now Brussel Sprout leaves. It is like cabbage leaves but tastes far better. I'm thinking I can freeze Brussel Sprout leaves too? Broccoli leaves?

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure, Chessie. Sorry for the late reply as I just found your comment, but yes, you can freeze any "hard" leafy greens, especially ones from the cruciferous family. Broccoli leaves are very similar to Collard Greens and Kale.

[@jdogsbad]

Very interesting. Would you do Swiss Chard the same way ?

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you for your feedback. With regards to Swiss Chard, no, because it is a "soft" leafy green. I don't recommend freezing any soft leafy greens, like it or spinach because they get extremely soft and wilted upon and after freezing. Of course, you can do it if you really want to, but I personally do not recommend it, but rather to focus on eating those fresh.

[@carolhorton-hines420]

Thank you.

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure Carol, and thank you for watching.

[@armandopina8529]

Luv the video. ¿What type of kale has the most nutrients?

[@Healthytarian]

All kale is highly nutritious and one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world. If you are seeking the highest nutrient density, it will not come down to a specific variety of kale but the quality of the kale you buy. The more you choose organic, fresh, local, and seasonal kale, the higher the nutrient integrity will be. Nutrients change based on many environmental factors, but when it comes to kale's exceptional profile, even the lowest quality of kale is still full of nutrients, as opposed to any processed foods.

[@teresagiansante950]

I grew up with kale we ate it mostly in soups . Sometimes with corn meal . Know I still do but I use in smoothie. We never knew you nutritional was we just ate it because my mother was cooking it

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you for sharing your experience, Teresa.

[@user-rb7fi2wz6z]

No closed caption? Well, I guess to read your note, but not what you said. So I was not sure if you were saying about the fresh kale .... like if yellow or black mold grows on kale and what to do? I would like to know because it went too fast. Mom put kale in the water with stems in ... for a day. Sometimes I forget it was still in the plastic bag in the Fridge after the whole food store. It was there like up for a few days or so. They become mold or yellow or/ and black spots... How can we prevent that? etc? I put them in water twice and put them in salad spin, then put on a clean dish towel to roll or extra another towel on top to allow drying. Or try to dry them. I put them on a wood board for me to slice chopped or sliced and put into the small plastic bags, then put in the large freezer bag. I can take one small plastic bag out of the large freezer bag. But you showed that all in with a large freeze plastic bag. You take it out how much you want but UMM well no closed caption there... There are millions of people with hearing losses and need a closed caption. Can you please add CC? Thanks.

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks for requesting the CCs. This is an old video and there was no such choice back when it was uploaded. I have activated the CC feature on this video now on KZbin and if you watch it again, you will see the CC option available. To answer your question, *if you are going to freeze kale, you need to do it when it is freshly bought or freshly picked.* The point is, it needs to be fresh. Once kale starts to age, wilt, or grow mold, it is not ideal to freeze it. At that point, eat it fresh in whatever form is suitable for you, removing any moldy parts. Plant matter, whether fruits or vegetables, will grow mold as it ages and decays. That is the natural part of life. The way to slow that process is not to keep the kale in water or in a wet or humid environment, but rather keep it in a bag or container in the fridge to stay cool and fresh longer, but even then, only up to a few days. Leafy greens should be eaten fresh and not kept for many days because they will start to decay. Setting a reminder on your smartphone can be helpful if you forget to use your kale within 2 days of getting it.

[@user-rb7fi2wz6z]

@@Healthytarian Thank you so much for adding CC! Yes, I am watching with CC !!

[@johnthomasdoyle1964]

Hi, just wondering if there are any additional nutritional value in keeping the stalks on for smoothies?

[@Healthytarian]

Hello John Thomas, yes, if your blender can handle blending the stalks and you don't mind the stronger flavor of the smoothie with the stalks, then you can definitely use the stalks with the leaves for more fiber and nutrients.

[@johnthomasdoyle1964]

@@Healthytarian thanks so much for your response. I find you're tutorials very helpful.

[@nulindagarcia1989]

Hi, love your videos. I have a important question for me, when I buy the store Kale that comes in the plastic containers or plastic bags, can I freeze the kale in the plastic or containers they came in from the store or should I transfer them to the plastic bags you used in the video. And also do I need to blanch them. I'm sick with pancreatitis and need to start eating healthy. Thank you in advance

[@Healthytarian]

Hello Nulinda. Thank you so much for your nice feedback. You may be able to freeze the store-bought kale in the original containers that it comes in. They are not freezer-grade packaging but it will be okay if you only intend to freeze it for a short time, like a few days or a few weeks. No blanching is needed, as this will only interfere with the amount of nutrients and quality of the original food. The closer the food is to its original form, the more nutrient integrity it has. Just use the frozen kale, as is, whether you put it in a smoothie or gently steam it in your meals when you are ready to use it. Best wishes to you on your journey of healthier eating to help heal your body.

[@nulindagarcia1989]

@@Healthytarian Thank you so much🙋🏻‍♀️

[@carolwilliams5337]

I always see that it should be blanched first. Is that not true? For swiss chard?

[@Healthytarian]

As I have shared in previous answers to this questions in the comment section here, there is no need to blanch, which is more so an industrial process used to preserve the color and texture of certain vegetables and fruits. It is a myth that it preserves nutrients based on incomplete information that just continues to circulate around. You have to keep in mind that anytime you subject your food to heat, especially delicate leafy greens like kale or Swiss Chard, there will be nutrient loss, especially of sensitive nutrients, like Vitamin C, B vitamins, and many antioxidants and phytonutrients. This is amplified further if water is involved and you are placing the food into boiling water, in which many nutrients can leach out. The less we interfere with our food's original perfection, the better. So if we are going to freeze kale for a few weeks or a few months, direct freezing with no other heat or cold applications is most recommended. As with all things in our society, just because many people are doing something, doesn't make it good or right.

[@Stanley_89]

Informative post. Very articulate. My question is, i just started living alone and i thought that refrigerating kale was enough . Well, i got a huge bunch of kale last week Sunday, today is Sunday, one week after and it is all yellow. Is this safe to eat or should i just throw it away?

[@Healthytarian]

It is safe to eat, but the color change indicates a large nutrient loss and loss of freshness. You can eat any leaves that are still green-ish, but if fully yellow, it is best to just compost it.

[@Stanley_89]

Thanks very much. Resolved to throw them away.

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome.

[@beverleyroberts1025]

Thank you, some very good tips. I love kale baked in the oven with sesame seeds. How does freezing effect the vitamins like B & C are they sensitive to heat and cold temperatures? 😄

[@Healthytarian]

Hi Beverley, and thank you for your feedback. With regards to freezing, in general it does not destroy vitamins and other nutrients like heat does (cooking, baking, roasting, etc.) Vitamin C is very heat sensitive, and also easily oxidizes when exposed to oxygen, and leaches out when exposed to water. B vitamins are less sensitive, but either way freezing has been shown to be minimally destructive to nutrients and is the next best thing after fully fresh and raw.

[@beverleyroberts1025]

Healthytarian Thank you very much, healthy food, vitamins and minerals is one of my passions, which is why I'm watching your videos. Thanks for the info, you always explain things so well in your videos 😄

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome and thanks for that additional feedback :)

[@wildcatslife686]

Thnx!

[@Healthytarian]

My pleasure!

If you put fresh Kale in a nutribullet with water and freeze it will that damage the nutrients?

[@Healthytarian]

Yes, that is a completely different process. It is like you are turning the kale into a smoothie and then freezing it. In that state, it won't be good for much aside from maybe a soup base. To lose least nutrients, you always want to keep your food as whole and intact as possible. The more we cut, process, or cook our food, the more nutrients are lost.

[@sivasakthisivagnanam886]

Noticed, u did not wash the leaves. Did u wash them before packing or do you wash them after. Or u don't ..if home grown, i can understand. But if its store bought, what is your recommendation. DO we need to tap dry before freezing them ?

[@Healthytarian]

Hi Sivasakthi, I am not sure what you mean as I cover all of this in the video. If you watch the video carefully, I talk about washing/cleaning your kale and show you as I wash it from timestamp 3:43 onwards. Then, from about 4:05 I talk about removing excess water and preparing for freezing.

[@tanyadptdnet]

I like to eat kale salads. I can only imagine maybe the thawed kale isn't ideal for use in a salad but is it really bad(wilted/gross/)?

[@Healthytarian]

Frozen kale that is thawed, just like any other leafy green, is not ideal for salads. Salads are meant to be made with fresh leafy greens, otherwise, yes, you are going to get a wilted and unpleasant experience.

[@high_fructose_corn_syrup]

When you freeze kale, when you defrost it, does it still hold the curly shape? Im asking because my bearded dragons love kale because of the fluffy/curly shape. We have so much kale right now but we'd like to preserve some for winter so we dont have to buy it. Ty

[@Healthytarian]

When you defrost or thaw out curly kale, like most leafy greens it is quite limp post-freezing. So it will still have the curly edges, but it is not going to be fluffy, but limp, due to the freezing process. Frozen leafy greens, such as kale, are best used for smoothies or stir-fries and similar cooked dishes, but not really to be depended on like fresh, raw kale.

[@high_fructose_corn_syrup]

@@Healthytarian ok ty so much for all the info. Looks like i will just have to buy it weekly at the store this winter. :)

[@fsjsamsam]

Wondering why you aren’t blanching first- I thought that preserved more nutrients.

[@Healthytarian]

As I have shared in previous answers to this questions in the comment section here, there is no need to blanch, which is more so an industrial process used to preserve the color and texture of certain vegetables and fruits. It is a myth that it preserves nutrients based on incomplete information that just continues to circulate around. It may preserve some slightly, while it reduces or destroys others. You have to keep in mind that anytime you subject your food to heat, especially delicate leafy greens like kale, there will be nutrient loss, especially of sensitive nutrients, like Vitamin C, B vitamins, and many antioxidants and phytonutrients. This is amplified further if water is involved and you are placing the food into boiling water, in which many nutrients can leach out. The less we interfere with our food's original perfection, the better. So if we are going to freeze kale for a few weeks or a few months, direct freezing with no other heat or cold applications is most recommended.

[@garyritterstrings]

I use a vac sealer.

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks for sharing, Gary.

[@BigVeegs]

Hi good human. I have been using store bought kale in my smoothies off and on over the past seven years. All that time I have been blanching/boiling quickly, THEN freezing. Are there any disadvantages in doing this? Thank you in advance

[@Healthytarian]

Hi Phil, yes, every thermal treatment impacts the food and its nutrients. Some methods are less harmful than others, but there is simply no need to blanch or boil the kale to freeze it. The more we can avoid "tampering" with our food, the better from a health and nutrition perspective. I know that there are many cooking methods advised and widely provide online, and while those may make sense from a culinary perspective, they often don't from a health and nutrition perspective. Of course there are different opinions about all this too nutritionally, but I always err on the side of nature: the more wholesome and unprocessed our food is, the more natural (beneficial) and recognizable it is for our human body. p.s. the higher the heat and/or the more water is used, the more we denature or destroy nutrients in it. Some are very sensitive and lost quickly, like vitamin C, while others have not been fully studied to what extent they are impacted, like the most healing and preventative phytonutrients. But in general, all nutrients, including the macro ones (fat, carb, protein) get denatured by heat to various degrees. Again, if there was a good need, blanching can be a small price to pay, but there isn't and you get a better final product in the end with the kale being frozen fully raw.

[@BigVeegs]

@@Healthytarian Thank you so much for that Evita. Makes perfect sense. Thank you for taking the time to reply in detail as you have. I am now considering making my own Ezekiel Bread . . . Your presentations are the most inspiring I have seen. Peas

[@Healthytarian]

You are most welcome Phil, and thank you for your beautiful feedback. Making your own Ezekiel bread sounds great! It is always fulfilling to make something good ourselves, but even better when it is healthy and wholesome to treat us on all levels, not just the taste buds. Peas :)

[@user121304]

Hi. How long does the kale last in the freezer?

[@Healthytarian]

As I share in the video, you can keep it for several months.

[@ItsMe-ic7on]

Once you wash your kale and it's all dried can you hang it so you can dry it out and then grind it up and use it as a powder? do you lose a lot of nutritional value that way?

[@Healthytarian]

You can dry the kale indeed. A dehydrator will dry it faster. However, hanging it can be okay too, but it should be in a dark environment and not exposed to any sunlight. Definitely there will be some nutrient loss, but it will still provide you with some benefits. I would just make sure this is in addition to eating fresh leafy greens, and not your only source of kale or leafy greens.

[@rozchristopherson648]

Is there any nutrient loss through the freezing process?

[@Healthytarian]

There can be, if the food is kept frozen for excessively long periods of time, like many, many months. So it is best to use frozen foods within a few weeks or months. I personally take the seasonal approach of eating whatever was frozen in the summer throughout the fall and winter, meaning that the food was frozen for up to about 6 months max. But in general freezing is minimally destructive to nutrients, especially if the food is flash frozen, as is done at the industrial level often. We do more damage to nutrients daily through heavy or prolonged cooking of the foods.

[@397coney7]

How to freeze kale; put kale in freezer.

[@Healthytarian]

Yes, seems simple enough, but not quite. At least not if you want to prevent freeze burn and major damage to the food by not putting it in some bag or container, and depending on how you want to use it post freezing, etc.

[@ItsMe-lt6up]

How to do u unfreeze kale to use for salad

[@Healthytarian]

You would not want to do that. Frozen kale is best for smoothies or gently cooked meals. Any frozen vegetable, especially leafy greens are not good options for any kind of raw meals, like salads because they completely lose their natural texture and flavor in unpleasant ways. If you don't mind soggy or limp leafy greens in your salad, then you would just eat it in a salad after you thaw it out naturally at room temperature or in the fridge.

[@ItsMe-lt6up]

Healthytarian thanks 😊

[@AndieBabie]

So you don't have to blanch the kale first?? This will be such a time saver why do people think it need to be blanched what's the benefits of that?

[@Healthytarian]

Andie, there is a lot of info shared out there today as you know, and many different perspectives that people have, which gives rise to different facts and opinions. This doesn't mean that there is one way of doing something, where one is right and the other is wrong. You just need to consider the perspective of the person sharing the info to better understand why they give the info they do. In my case, my perspective is as a whole food, optimal health, and holistic teacher, and the idea is to keep things as simple as possible and not mess with our food or process it any more than we absolutely have to, meaning as little as possible. Every time you expose your food to heat, it takes a toll on the nutrient integrity of the food, and thus health benefits. And like you pointed out, it makes food prepr more timely and complex, usually for no good or good enough reason. People will typically blanch before freezing to better preserve the flavor, color, or texture of the vegetable. However, this is more of an industrial process that matters most when food is mass produced and sold, where consumers expect a certain end product and the producer does not know how long this food will sit frozen, etc. It is not needed in our personal kitchens, and especially if you use your kale or other vegetables within a reasonable amount of time of a few short months. I have never blanched my kale or any of my vegetables before freezing, and have never experienced a problem with any of them in any way. Simplicity is the key, as much as possible.

[@AndieBabie]

Well this is just great to hear! I will plant more next year then. I was hesitant because the process seemed so long with the launching process but this saves so much more time! Thanks I'm glad I found your video and thanks for the response!

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome!

[@bulgn]

No need to blanch?

[@Healthytarian]

Not at all. I covered this question in detail for several others in the comments here, please just search the comments for the term "blanch".

[@poodlepup1]

its only useful for cooking not for salads?

[@Healthytarian]

*Frozen kale is not good for salads, but raw is.* Please make sure that you understand this differentiation. Raw kale is great for salads, but frozen will not be because when it thaws it is soft and wilted.

[@lightingstruck6893]

Can we eat the stock ... or just eat the leaves only.....? ....

[@Healthytarian]

Oh you can most definitely eat the stalk. I just remove it as it is easier for me to freeze and the stalk has the flavor more strongly concentrated, which isn't always ideal for some meals.

[@lightingstruck6893]

Thanks so much for the reply! ... ok i will blend with the stalk. Great! .. i had started drinking and will certainly use your method to freeze the Kale. Really appreciate !

[@ayubshaikh9297]

Oh! I had the same question. 😁

[@ayubshaikh9297]

@@Healthytarian Thank you so much..

[@MrJMaq]

With genuine respect for Ms. Ochel, I would'nt freeze kale. I would just throw it away fresh.

[@Healthytarian]

I am not sure I understand what you mean "throw it away fresh"? Perhaps you meant "use it fresh"? In such a case, yes, fresh is always best, but for people who live in northern climates where there are long winters and who have access to an abundance of kale in the summer months, then freezing is a great alternative to having this leafy green in the diet during those harsh times. For millennia, humans have needed to take certain approaches to food preservation in order to ensure food security, and for anyone who grows their own food, especially, and has more than enough during the summer season, freezing kale is a great way to ensure that we also benefit from it during the winter season.

[@MrJMaq]

@@Healthytarian Ms. Ochel, I'm sorry you took me seriously. Everything you say is true and good information. It's just that I really dislike kale. I guess my sense of humor may be a little obtuse. No offense intended.

[@ma.shirleyrelente693]

Where to put the kale just put it on fridge or to the freezer please clear it out. 😊🇵🇭

[@Healthytarian]

Thanks for watching.

[@glenncurley680]

No Blanching?

[@Healthytarian]

Definitely not. This has been addressed and explained in numerous comments on the video.

[@kurt6410]

can you vacuum seal it?

[@Healthytarian]

I think that would be just fine before freezing, yes.

[@kurt6410]

thanks. im trying to start to eat healthy after years of eating fast and processed foods im starting to eat fresh. im trying to learn how to preserve fruits and vegetables. ive thrown so much stuff away lately

[@Healthytarian]

You are very welcome. Here are some tips that may be helpful for your journey: The key is to structure your meals in a way that you know what you will need and over the course of a few weeks you will quickly learn how much you eat on a general basis. For this I recommend my meal templates: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXeWqKd6rNyppJY (I have specific videos on the channel for each meal template.) Then, buying enough for what you anticipate you will use, so that nothing goes bad. Here is a quick guide to grocery shopping: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXrJanqdbct2e5I. And also using the foods that spoil fastest first, while leaving the more hardy ones for later in the week. Generally, berries and soft leafy greens are the most sensitive, where as fruits like apples, pears, oranges and similar others last well for days and weeks. Aim to eat any fresh vegetables you buy within the week. Finally, always eat all fresh foods first, and then frozen foods should be the back up the end of the week, when maybe you are running low on fresh foods, before your next grocery trip. But in general, while freezing fresh fruits and vegetables is a quick way to make them last longer, if you have a grocery store in your vicinity that you can easily visit, I recommend just doing less groceries more often, until you learn what works for you (what you need in a week and will go through easily). Best wishes!

[@christinepeters7110]

Hi what if i want to freeze organic fresh kale would this be ok?

[@Healthytarian]

Yes, you can freeze all fresh kale.

[@carriebishop8568]

Can i wash before freezing? thank you

[@Healthytarian]

Definitely. You should just wait for most of the excess water to dry off, without the kale getting wilted depending on the temperature and dryness in your kitchen environment at the time. Wash and shake off excess water, then let dry a little more for an hour or two. If I buy kale from the store, I wash and freeze even with some of the water droplets or not fully dry and it is just fine.

[@helenahayes6150]

my kale tasted yucky in smoothies after they were frozen.

[@Healthytarian]

Sorry to hear that, Helena. Perhaps it was frozen for too long, or perhaps too much of the stems were used, or perhaps not enough fruits were used. If frozen kale is helpful for you, then I would experiment to see what may work best for you.

[@zenamcfarlandgentris6375]

One video says, if you gonna refrigerate them, don't wash the kale...

[@Healthytarian]

There are differences of opinion about everything. You need to think about what makes most sense for you. In our world today, there are a lot of pollutants and problems with food, so it is always best practice to wash your fruits and vegetables before eating them and before freezing them. Refrigeration is different. When you buy or grow your fruits and vegetables and bring them to your kitchen to put into the refrigerator, then you would NOT wash them until you are ready to eat them. Refrigeration is not the same as freezing. Two very different processes. Hope that helps :)

[@alexcameron2254]

What about steaming the kale for 5 mins to reduce the bad acid in it and then freezing it? Have you considered that? Any thoughts? Also, what about just making your smoothies and freezing them in mason jars?

[@Healthytarian]

Hi Alex, I am not sure what you mean by "bad acid" in the kale? Kale is an alkaline forming food, with many positive nutritional and medicinal attributes. The more we process a food, the more we degrade these health and healing benefits. So I would recommend steaming it, if someone wants to eat it fresh, but not fully raw, OR freezing it as is, for long term storage, but not both. With regards to freezing smoothies, here again we have to consider nutritional breakdown and value. Smoothies are so quick and easy to make, it is best to enjoy them fresh, with perhaps one or two frozen ingredients in them during time of making, as applicable. If you freeze them, the idea is that it would be for several days, not months, as can be done with kale alone.

[@thegonz9]

Horrible comments. If you don't like the video get lost

[@Healthytarian]

Interesting that you should pick up on that. Unfortunately, a lot of people on KZbin feel entitled to criticize and pick on anything that is outside of their expectations and preferences, forgetting that there is a human being on the other end who is putting a lot of time, effort, and care into making the videos. So yes, if it doesn't resonate, move on, without putting down someone else's work simply because it is not how you want it to be.

[@thegonz9]

@@Healthytarian Spoken like someone with class! I tend to be quite blunt at times. but I didn't appreciate you getting picked on like that. I'd also like to say how much I enjoyed your video

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you so much! Your expression of kindness means a lot.

[@mathsmadeeasy5408]

4:20 damn, how big is your freezer?

[@Healthytarian]

Just average size. Perhaps it just looks bigger because it is mostly empty.

[@mathsmadeeasy5408]

Healthytarian just meant you had a lot of kale

[@Healthytarian]

@@mathsmadeeasy5408 Ok, thanks.

[@mathsmadeeasy5408]

Healthytarian I enjoyed your video though

[@nancyli8729]

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@Healthytarian]

Thank you so much Nancy :)

[@sarah4958]

All I wanted to know is how to store it 😆

[@Healthytarian]

As the title clearly shares, Sarah, this is a full guide that provdies lots more info than just storing, but you are free to skip to the part about storing as per the timestamps.

[@jamonfalin1528]

when there is not kale organic ect close by, how do u clean it very well those comercial ones u get from the groceries? you people always goes to get them organic ect natural, well not all of us live close to those in the world.

[@Healthytarian]

You don't have to do anything special to clean it, even if you cannot get organic kale. The most important thing is to wash any fruit or vegetable thoroughly with clean water. Other than that, if you feel you'd like an addition purification step, then you can use a vinegar-water solution. Even non-organic kale will provide more benefits than any harm from the pesticides, etc.

[@alavinaglenn1085]

Can u just show us how to freeze it instead of talking to much.

[@Healthytarian]

My videos are not for those who are not looking for a "quick fix", as this is an educational channel. I hope you find what you are looking for elsewhere Alavina.

[@bobsmith-ud9xi]

kale easy green to grow

[@Healthytarian]

Indeed! Thanks for watching Bob.

[@sandrabell577]

So much dialog I forgot why I was watching this video!

[@Healthytarian]

I teach in a very detailed way Sandra, and of course it won't work for everyone's needs, that is fine. This is why KZbin provides variety to suit everyone's needs. Hopefully though, we are kind to everyone, instead of putting down someone or something, just because it doesn't work for us. We have to remember, it works for someone else.

[@alliehunter9896]

I heard unblanched kale turns black because the enzymes keep going...

[@Healthytarian]

Not sure what the person who gave you this info was doing with their kale, but this has never been my experience in years of freezing fresh kale, of all sorts of varieties.

[@Bigotedechivo]

instructions begin at 3:45

[@Healthytarian]

Yes, I provide a time stamp breakdown in the video description for those who wish to access different chapters of the video directly.