Freeze This Food

Can You Freeze Kale?

Checked against sources
Illustration of kale

Yes. Strip the tough stems, blanch the leaves for a minute, and kale freezes into a handy cooking green that keeps about 8 to 12 months for best quality. For smoothies you can freeze the raw leaves and skip the blanch, accepting a shorter window. Either way it thaws soft, so plan to cook or blend it — and when in doubt, follow USDA guidance.

Can you freeze kale?

Yes — it freezes well
How long it keeps frozen
8 to 12 months blanched, for best qualityWithin USDA FoodKeeper's vegetable range when blanched; raw-frozen smoothie kale is best used within a couple of months. Safe far longer at 0 °F (−18 °C).
How to freeze it
  1. Wash the leaves and tear or cut them away from the thick central stems, which stay woody.
  2. Blanch the leaves for about 1 minute, then plunge them into ice water and drain.
  3. Squeeze out the excess water and shape the kale into loose portions or balls.
  4. Freeze the portions on a tray, then bag them; for smoothie kale, freeze the dry raw leaves loose instead.
How to thaw & use
Add blanched kale straight from frozen to soups, stews, and sautés; toss frozen raw leaves directly into the blender for smoothies.
Texture & quality
Freezing collapses kale's structure, so the leaves thaw limp — fine for cooking, useless for a raw salad. Removing the stems before freezing matters: they stay tough and stringy and spoil the texture of whatever you add the kale to.

More in this group: Freezing vegetables

Frequently asked questions

Can you freeze kale for smoothies without blanching?

Yes. For smoothies, where the kale gets blended anyway, you can freeze the washed, dried leaves raw and toss them straight into the blender. Use raw-frozen kale within a couple of months, as its flavour fades faster without blanching.

Do you remove kale stems before freezing?

For cooking, yes — the thick central ribs stay woody and stringy through freezing and cooking. Strip the leaves off first. For smoothies it matters less, since the blender breaks down whatever you put in.

How do you use frozen kale?

Drop blanched frozen kale straight into soups, stews, pasta sauces, and sautés, where its softness is an asset. Frozen raw kale goes into smoothies and blended soups. It is not suited to raw salads after freezing.

Sources

Related