You should try and consume your kale harvest within two weeks of cutting your leaves off the plant. To store properly, follow the following steps: Wash all harvested leaves thoroughly with cold water (hot/warm water will make them wilt!), being sure to remove any debris.
How long can I harvest kale?
The harvest period usually occurs once in late spring or early summer, and again in autumn. It is worth noting there isn’t a perfect time to pick this green. If you like smaller leaves, collect them earlier when they are younger. And if you prefer larger kale, wait until it sizes up.
How many harvests can you get from kale?
There is no limit on how many times you can harvest Kale if you follow the correct harvesting steps. If your plant is kept healthy and you avoid picking or damaging the central bud the plant will continue to grow and you can pick fresh leaves every two weeks.
Will kale continue to grow after harvesting?
As long as you pick the outer leaves, kale will continue to grow and produce new foliage. In fact, picking the older leaves will actually enhance the new growth. However, if you pick or damage the central bud of the plant – it’s game over. Your kale plant will not be able to produce any new growth.
How long will kale plants produce?
2-year
A biennial (2-year) plant, kale produces leaves in the first year, and then, in the next year (or sometimes late in the first year), it will form a flower stalk. The stalk forms flowers and then seeds. Once the seeds mature, the plant dies.
Does kale grow back every year?
Although kale is normally grown as an annual plant, it is actually a biennial, which means it has a two-year life cycle. In its first growing season, your kale plant will produce lots of leafy green foliage. In USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10, it will keep producing new leaves throughout the winter.
What can I do with a ton of kale?
5 Ways to Eat Kale – or what to do with the rest of the bag of…
- Toss it with Pasta. Kale and pasta go together beautifully.
- Serve it in a Salad. Chop it up and toss it in with other salad veggies.
- Add Kale to Scrambled Eggs.
- Make Kale Chips.
- Easy Kale Skillet Side Dish.
Should I cut the flowers off kale?
Those tiny flower buds that appear on your kale plants at the end of the season don’t necessarily mean the end of your crop. In fact, just the opposite: the florets are a bonus harvest you can eat, and they turn even sweeter if you’ve had frost.
Does kale get bitter with age?
Mature Kale Plants
If flower buds begin to appear or the kale sends up flower stalks, it has become over-mature and the leaves may develop a bitter taste, according to experts at Burpee.
When should you eat kale from the garden?
Before you begin, you’ll need to make sure that your kale plant is ready to harvest. You’ll know when it’s ready when it’s about 12 inches tall and the leaves are the size of your hand or bigger. Leaves that are the size of your palm are younger and more tender whereas the bigger leaves will be older and a bit tougher.
Can kale survive winter?
Kale thrives in mild winters, but can also produce sweet, tender leaves long into a cold winter if the plants are protected with row cover or are planted in an unheated greenhouse.
Can you freeze kale?
Kale can be frozen without blanching but should be used within 4 weeks. Blanching greens before freezing stops the naturally-occurring ripening enzymes in the leaves. This will ensure that the leaves taste fresh and will not develop a bitter taste. Blanched kale will last up to 1 year in the freezer.
How do you preserve kale?
Directions:
- Store Whole Bunches In the Fridge. To avoid excess moisture, wrap the whole bunch of kale in a layer of paper towels, and store in a supermarket plastic bag or a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer.
- Store Washed, Prepped Greens in the Fridge.
- Blanch and Freeze the Leaves.
Does kale last 2 years?
A Two-Year Cycle
In USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10, biennial kale will continue to produce edible leaves throughout the winter. While in colder zones, these plants will go dormant during the winter – which means their leaves may die back, but their root systems will remain alive.
What can you not plant with kale?
Avoid planting kale with other brassicas (like broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and Swiss chard), as they can fall prey to the same pests and diseases.
Does kale need a lot of water?
Kale likes a nice, even supply of water, about 1 to 1.5 inches per week. You can measure how much water rain has provided by using a rain gauge in the garden. Mulch with compost, finely ground leaves, weed-free hay, straw, pine needles, or finely ground bark to keep the soil cool and moist and to keep down weeds.
Is bolted kale OK to eat?
Both the flowerheads and the unopened buds are quite tasty. Harvest and eat up all the young leaves while you can and make the most out of your kale plant even though it has started bolting. You might even decide that you like eating the flowerheads more than regular kale leaves.
What do you do with kale in the winter?
Depending where you live, winter kale can be left in the open garden or grown in a season extender like a cold frame, mini hoop tunnel, or greenhouse. And the best part is that kale is an easy-to-grow green that forms beautiful, productive plants.
Can you eat overwintered kale?
Both the leaves and buds from overwintered kale and collards are remarkably sweet and tender, and plants that are allowed to bloom become beacons for early season pollinators.
Can kale be cut and come again?
Harvesting: Kale is a frost-hardy cut-and-come-again plant. Young leaves can be picked from autumn to mid-spring. Remove leaves with a sharp knife as required (mature or yellowing leaves won’t have the same bite).
What happens if you cut the top off kale?
Cut back several mature plants in spring.
As noted above, lopping off the top of a mature kale plant encourages vigorous new growth. These small leaves will provide enough greens for late winter or early spring salads while you await the next crop’s tender bounty.