How to Freeze Kale (+ recipes for how to use it)

Do you have a batch of kale that is about to go bad? Freeze it for future use! Here are my tips & and tricks for How To Freeze Kale and the best ways to use it!

Freezing kale is a wonderful way to always have greens on hand for easy veggie-loading and helps to reduce food waste. With the rising costs of groceries, I am always looking for ways to stretch our budget — so learning How to Freeze Kale (among other produce) was a no-brainer for me! Keep veggies on hand for smoothies, soups, and more — rather than languishing in your fridge? And all for zero extra dollars? Yes, please!

How to Freeze Kale

Step-by-step, here is How to Freeze Kale so that you always have it on hand for green smoothies, soups or for blending into baked goods. Freezing helps you to retain the nutrition of kale while preventing food waste and making sure you always have a stash of greens on hand for easy veggie-loading!

1. Wash and dry kale. Be sure to pat it as dry as possible so that ice doesn’t form on the leaves.
2. Remove the leaves from the fibrous stem. The stem is tough and not super fun to eat. Simply cut or rip the leaves from the stem.
3. Place kale leaves into a freezer-safe container. I like to use gallon silicone bags, but a gallon ziplock or reusable container will work just fine.
4. Seal and place into freezer for at least 3 hours.
5. Remove frozen kale from the freezer and use as desired in smoothies, soups, or defrost to add to muffins and pancake batter.

Do you need to blanch kale before freezing?

You can blanch fresh kale before freezing to help minimize bitterness, but I personally find this to be an unneeded step since I tend to use frozen kale in recipes that balance out kale’s natural flavors.

If you do not plan to add your frozen kale to recipes that might mask its natural bitterness, you may prefer to blanch your kale by adding it to a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes and then quickly transferring the blanched leaves to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooling process. Once blanched and cooled, follow the steps below to freeze your kale.

Can you freeze bagged kale?

Yes! However, most bagged kale has not had the fibrous stems of the veggie removed before being chopped up. The stem is edible, so no need to pick through your bagged kale and remove it from all the little pieces if you don’t want to. Just be aware that when added to a recipe this way, it might be a bit more chewy.

Can you freeze cooked kale?

Yes. Many people prefer to blanch their veggies before freezing because it helps to preserve their natural colors and some find it reduces bitterness. However, it is not necessary if you prefer to skip this step.

Is it better to freeze kale raw or cooked?

Totally a personal preference. Both will work. The only difference that I have found is that you can blanch fresh kale before freezing to help minimize bitterness, but I personally find this to be an unneeded step since I tend to use frozen kale in recipes that balance out kale’s natural flavors.

How long can you freeze kale?

Kale should last in your freezer for about 6 months. Be sure to securely close your container to prevent freezer burn.

Does freezing kale cause it to lose nutrients?

No! Quite the opposite! Freezing kale while fresh helps for it to retain its nutrients. This is true for all frozen veggies, so don’t be afraid to freeze your veggies and use them!

Do you need to defrost frozen kale?

Frozen kale thaws very quickly, so it does not need to be thawed when adding it to smoothies, soups, and stews. If you are planning to blend it into a muffin or pancake batter, I would suggest thawing it so you can drain off any access water the plant released. Added moisture can result in mushy baked goods, which is never fun.

Recipes that can use frozen kale

Want some inspiration to use all of that frozen kale? These are some of my favorite kale recipes that work well with frozen spinach!

• Kale Mango Smoothie
• Veggie-Loaded Tortellini Soup (vegetarian)
• Super Healthy Fudge Pops (with added veggies)
• 30-minute Sausage & Veggie Soup
• Mushroom Kale Frittata
• Power-Up Green Smoothie
• Kale and White Bean Soup

Loving this veggie how-to and are hungry for more veggie-loaded recipes and hacks?

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