Kale is a vitamin-packed, hearty green that is as healthy as it is delicious. That’s why proper storage is so important. Treat it right, and it stays fresh for quite some time. So don’t pre-wash it, keep it very cold, and away from apples. Yes, apples.
You are probably thinking… but the grocery store sprays those veggies all the time. They are already wet. Well, hear me out or just watch the video linked in this post to find out more.
Storing Kale
Here’s the deal. Kale is super fragile, despite its heartiness. And because of all the grooves that some varieties have, it takes it forever to completely dry. So don’t bother wetting it again. I beg you! Washing it before storage will only increase spoilage.
So do we wash our kale before storing it? Oh, kale no!
Now, you want to store kale in the refrigerator (duh!) but in the coldest part of the fridge. Kale tends to get more and more bitter the longer it is left at room temperature, so keep it cool, sucka’!
I tightly wrap my kale in a paper towel and then place it in an air-tight bag. Now, since kale bunches tend to be rather large, that is not always possible. Just get the bag as air-tight as you can.
Do not de-stem it. Kale is very sensitive. You only want to cut it and wash it prior to use (have I said that enough yet). It is also sensitive to other produce. kale is very sensitive to ethylene, formed naturally from certain other produce, so store it away from those items.
Here are some fruits and veggies that you should not store near your kale:
Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas, unripe
Cantaloupe
Figs
Honeydew
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Tomatoes
If you follow these tips, your kale will stay fresh for a week, if not longer. It is as easy as that!
History of Kale
Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was extremely common in Europe. During World War II, growing kale in the U.K. was encouraged because of how easily the leafy green grows and for how nutritious it is. Kale provided important nutrients that many were missing from their normal diet due to rationing.