How to Store Kale So It’s Ready to Use!

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse as most of us know. With this in mind, the best way to store kale is prepped, in the refrigerator, and ready to use. Fresh Kale is a leafy green vegetable we want to incorporate into our diet, so let’s make it as easy as possible!

At the grocery store,  you’ll find several varieties of kale to choose from. No matter which bunch or bunches of kale you select, make sure that it is firm. There shouldn’t be yellow or any other kind of discoloration on the kale leaves. You want fresh green kale and fresh kale of the best quality that has been prepped can last for a long time, up to a week in the refrigerator.

Prepping the Kale

Once you bring kale home from the grocery store, the first thing you will need to do is thoroughly wash it. Undo the bunch of kale, and separate the leaves. I find the best method is to rinse each kale leaf well, then place it in a colander to drain off excess water. If the kale is extra dirty, which is often the case with organic kale, take a very large bowl full of room temperature water, and place the rinsed kale leaves from the colander into the bowl of water. Submerge the leaves in the water and move them around a bit, giving attention to each leaf. Lift the leaves gently out of the water, not to stir up any dirt residue, then place them back in the colander, rinse and drain off the water again.

After cleaning the kale, you want to make sure you get rid of any excess moisture. There are 3 ways to do this.

1. Pat dry the kale with a clean kitchen towel
2. Pat dry the kale with paper towels
3. Dry by using a salad spinner

Raw kale is a hearty green so you don’t have to be too gentle when drying it. After it is dry, remove the stalks. You do this either by holding the end part of the kale stem and stripping the leaves off with your other hand, or you can cut the stalk away from the leaves with a small paring knife. I find it helpful to tear the leaves into smaller pieces, for things like kale salads or kale chips.

It’s also optional to remove the stalks before washing the kale if you prefer.

Storing the Kale in the Refrigerator.

Once your kale has been prepped, you’ll need some kind of airtight container for storing it in the refrigerator. It can be something like a Rubbermaid reusable container, a glass Pyrex bowl with a sealable lid, or even a sealable plastic storage bag, or better yet, the freezer bags, which are sturdy and can be reused over and over for this purpose. As long as this leafy vegetable is stored in an airtight container, it won’t need to be kept in a crisper drawer.

Place the prepped kale in the container, and wrap or use a layer of paper towels (or kitchen towels). In the container I use most often, I just place a paper towel on the bottom, place the kale on top and then top the container with another paper towel. This really helps keep out extra moisture and the kale will stay fresh.

Don’t waste the kale stems! You can use those, along with some kale leaves and they will blend nicely in green smoothies. They’re good finely diced to include in a sauteed kale side dish too if you prefer cooked kale.

Eat More Kale!

Storing kale so that it is ready to use is a good idea and very helpful. It’s an easy way to make sure I eat this nutrient-dense veggie often. There are so many health benefits in those leafy greens! If it’s prepped and ready to use, I find that I do so more often. My favorite varieties are curly kale and dinosaur kale (also known as lacinato kale or Tuscan kale). The good news is that they’re readily available at a local grocery store.

Kale is delicious and nutritious and I hope this information encourages you to Eat more kale!