Kale is an easy vegetable to grow in your garden, where you can always have it at hand for adding to hearty salads and refreshing smoothies, and maybe even turning into a healthy snack such as kale chips. This leafy green grows best in the cooler seasons of early spring and fall, just like other members of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and collards. Once your plants have started flourishing, here's how to harvest kale to enjoy in all your favorite recipes.
Methods for How to Harvest Kale
There are two different ways to pick kale. One is to snap off individual leaves from the stem as needed. To do so, grip a leaf at its base where it meets the main stem and gently twist it until it breaks off. Or use pruning shears to snip off the leaf close to the stem. When you harvest kale this way, the rest of the plant will continue growing and making more leaves for you.
The other method for how to harvest kale is to pull up the whole plant. This is best when you need a lot of kale for a recipe. After uprooting the plant, cut the roots off the stem with a kitchen knife. Then, remove all the leaves from the stem before washing and storing them.
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When to Harvest Kale
The best time to harvest kale is before the plant produces flowers, which makes the leaves taste bitter.Start picking kale after the plant has reached its mature height. What that height is depends on the variety of kale you're growing. This information should be listed either on the seed package or the plant tag that came with the starter plant. Some varieties reach maturity within seven weeks after sowing seeds but can stay in the ground for an extended period. Kale is one vegetable that handles a light freeze and often tastes sweeter after going through one.
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How to Store Fresh Kale
To store kale leaves you don't want to use immediately, wrap them in paper towels and put them in a zip-top bag. Wait to wash the leaves until you want to use them. This will help minimize moisture in the bag that can cause mold or speed decay. Use your fresh kale leaves within a week of harvesting, or they'll start to go bad.
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How to Harvest Kale Seeds
Kale is a biennial that needs a cold or dormancy period before producing seed. Biennial means "two life cycles," and kale will make seeds in the second year of that life cycle when the plant bolts or flowers after the weather turns warm. At that point, the plant puts its energy into making flowers and seeds instead of leaves. Once a vegetable goes to seed, the plant's flavor usually declines.
If you're interested in harvesting kale seeds, you'll need to plant your kale differently. Kale flowers aren't self-fertilizing, meaning more than one plant is required to produce seeds. Planting ten plants close together will ensure a good level of pollination. You can still harvest leaves from your kale plants, but once they bolt, leave them to flower and set seeds instead of uprooting them as you might otherwise do.
After pollination, tiny seed pods will start to form. Let the pods dry naturally on the plant until they're light brown. The longer you wait for the pods to dry naturally, the more likely you will have viable seeds for the next season. Pick the dry seed pods from the plant and remove the seeds by rubbing the pods with your hands over a large bowl so that the seeds fall into it. Pick out any debris from the pods that end up in the bowl.
Let the seeds air dry on a paper towel or dish for one week. Allowing all moisture to dry is extremely important for preventing mold and rot later. The seeds can then be placed in a storage container and labeled. A clean and empty prescription pill bottle makes a great seed container. Store your seeds in a dry, dark place. If dried and stored correctly, kale seeds can last for four years.
Recipes to Make with Harvested Kale
Go beyond salad with your fresh kale and try some new recipes. Danish GrønkaalSoup is filled with veggies, including leeks, carrots, and potatoes, and it unexpectedly adds rolled oats. Skillet lasagna gets an updated flavor with wild mushrooms while staying low-calorie with fat-free ricotta. Cannellini and farrow combine with kale for a hearty and flavorful Mediterranean stew. Kale is a versatile ingredient, so try it instead of other green leafy vegetables in your favorite recipes.
