It's easy to make your own kale powder in the oven or a food dehydrator -- a great way to sneak lots of veggie nutrition into smoothies, soups and more.
When summer begins to wind down, my preserving instincts kick into high gear.
I start to panic: Fall is coming. What will I do without juicy fresh tomatoes? Or handful after handful of fresh basil? Or ripe peaches? Or fresh greens from right outside my back door?
Right now, my freezer is full of peaches, blueberries, strawberries and watermelon for winter smoothies and my pantry is loaded up with marinated dried tomatoes that I can turn into an amazing pasta sauce or layer on pizzas. And making a winter store of pesto and basil chimchurri is on my to-do list for next week.
So what about the greens?
While I have tried freezing heartier greens like kale and collards, they're really only good for soups and stews once thawed, as their cellular structure really breaks down once frozen. The best way I've found to preserve fresh greens is to dehydrate them and turn them into vegetable powders.
In the past, I showed you how to make tomato powder, which is an awesome way to add a huge pop of fresh tomato flavor to soups and pasta sauces or mix with yogurt or salad dressing to create a veggie dip. All it takes is a few hours in a food dehydrator or on low temperature in your oven.
Making greens powder -- in this case, kale powder -- is accomplished the same way.
My favorite use for this kale powder is very sneaky. Regular readers know Mr. Ninj, who never met a vegetable he liked, is my equivalent of mommy bloggers' picky 3-year-old eaters, so I'm always on the lookout for stealthy new ninja-like ways of sneaking vegetables into his diet.
Mixing this kale powder into his morning smoothies has become my secret weapon!
It's super easy to make your own kale powder. Just wash a bunch of kale really well, then pat it dry. Spread it on dehydrator trays and dry at 125 degrees for about 6 hours or until it's super dry and crispy; it will crumble between your fingers. (Alternatively, you can dry the kale on baking sheets in a low-temperature oven.) Once the kale has cooled, whirl it up in a coffee grinder (I bought the cheapest one I could find to use for my veggie powders and it works great!) until it's very fine and powdery and then store it in an air-tight container.
It's a beautiful thing. About half a teaspoon of this kale powder is the equivalent of an entire serving of fresh kale -- mixed into an oatmeal smoothie or quinoa breakfast smoothie, I can give Mr. Ninj a huge nutrition boost that he can't even taste!
Booyah. I'm a ninja.
Now, this kale powder is yet another reason and recipe that illustrates just how valuable a food dehydrator can be in your commitment to healthy eating. The expense can be minimal and you'll be amazed at all the healthy, delicious stuff you can make: fruit leather, watermelon slices, jerky, veggie chips and more.
Ready to commit? Be sure to read my tips on buying a dehydrator first. (And, for what it's worth, I own an Excalibur dehydrator and think they are the absolute best dehydrators out there.) And then check out all my dehydrating recipes!
Related to a picky eater? Have you tried sneaking veggie powders into your recipes? Or have I convinced you to start? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.
DIY Kale Powder
One bunch of kale yields about 3 ounces of powder. And 1/2 teaspoon of powder is the equivalent of about 1 serving of fresh kale. Feel free to substitute other greens for the kale!
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed
Directions:
1. Wash the kale thoroughly and pat dry (make sure stems have been removed). Tear into large pieces (bigger than you'd use in a salad).
2a. Dehydrator method: Spread the kale on dehydrator trays and dry at 125 degrees for about 6-7 hours or until the leaves are very dry and crumbly.
-- OR --
2b. Oven method: Spread the kale on baking sheets and dry at 175 degrees, turning leaves over at least once, until very dry and crumbly (several hours).
3. Cool the kale then, working in small batches, crumble the leaves into a coffee grinder and pulverize into a fine powder.
4. Store in an airtight container.
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-- print recipe --
FAQs
Oven method: Spread the kale on baking sheets and dry at 175 degrees, turning leaves over at least once, until very dry and crumbly (several hours). 3. Cool the kale then, working in small batches, crumble the leaves into a coffee grinder and pulverize into a fine powder.
Is kale powder just as good as fresh kale? ›
Dried kale powder is almost as nutritious as fresh kale, it is certainly easier to come by, easier to eat, and can be added to a seemingly unlimited number of dishes. Dried kale still has high levels of many vitamins and minerals including: vitamin A. vitamin K.
How do you dehydrate kale for green powder? ›
Dehydrated Kale Powder
- De-stem kale and place on a single layer on your dehydrator trays (if using dehydrator) or baking sheets (if using oven method).
- Dehydrator Method: Dehydrate at 125°F for approximately 6 - 8 hours. ...
- You'll want to make sure everything is completely dehydrated.
Kale powder is a good source of dietary fiber, which can support digestive health, regulate blood sugar levels, and aid in weight management.
How do I make my own greens powder? ›
How To Make Greens Powder:
- CUT. Start by cutting the stems off your greens. ...
- RINSE. Next, rinse your greens by submerging in cold water. ...
- DRY. Dry greens & remove any in-lining thick stems. ...
- PLACE. Now you're ready to dehydrate! ...
- DEHYDRATE on low 4-5 hours or overnight. ...
- REMOVE. ...
- GRIND & STORE.
Kale reduces inflammation in the body, which is extremely valuable if you suffer with chronic liver problems. One of kale's phytonutrients is quercetin, which is a flavonoid that acts as an anti-inflammatory in the body. Kale is a rich source of Vitamin K, a nutrient that helps regulate the body's inflammatory process.
Is it OK to blend raw kale? ›
You can eat kale raw in a smoothie (no need to cook it first).
Is dried kale still healthy? ›
Dried kale is generally a good source of minerals and vitamins. However, blanching before drying is recommended. In addition, freeze-drying and storage in cold temperature allows for higher vitamin preservation in dried kale.
What is the healthiest form of kale? ›
Turns out purple kale is even better than the green variety because it contains anthocyanins which are responsible for the purple colour (the same nutrient that blueberries and cranberries contain), which have even more powerful antioxidant properties.
How long does homemade greens powder last? ›
Store as you would a spice, in a cool dry place, for up to 3 months. For a green juice, dissolve 1 tablespoon of the powder into water.
The trick is to mimic dehydrating in your oven. To do that, you need to use the lowest temperature setting possible for your oven, and then alternate turning the oven off and on. For my trials, this took about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Does kale dehydrate well? ›
Everyone knows kale is a superfood, filled with with tons of nutrients. It's also sturdy, ultralight, and goes with just about any type of meal you would like to make. There's still a chance that fresh kale could be ruined in your pack on a hot day, but once it's dehydrated, it becomes invincible.
Why can't you eat kale everyday? ›
Plus, eating too much fiber (like what you find in kale) could wreck havoc on your GI system, causing bloating, diarrhea, gas, constipation, and even improper absorption of nutrients. Of course, you'd have to be eating a lot of kale to suffer these effects, says Manganiello, but it's still something to keep in mind.
What does kale do to your gut? ›
Kale contains a type of sugar called sulfoquinovose, which feeds the good bacteria living in your gut. These good bacteria are important for your digestion and help keep down levels of harmful bacteria. This is important because high levels of bad bacteria can lead to diarrhea and malnutrition.
What medications does kale interfere with? ›
Leafy greens and warfarin
Among the most well-known food-drug interactions is the anticoagulant warfarin (brand names Jantoven and Coumadin) and foods containing vitamin K, such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, seaweed and other leafy greens.
Are kale chips as healthy as raw kale? ›
We love leafy greens in general, but it is amazing what a transformation kale undergoes when heated at low temperature in the oven. My kids can devour an entire head of kale prepared this way in five minutes flat. And unlike potato chips, kale retains its nutritional value when made into chips.
Are powdered greens better than fresh? ›
Because greens powders are made from dried fruits and vegetables, some important nutritional content like fiber is lost in the process. Greens powders are not a substitute for a well-balanced diet and cannot replace the nutritional benefits you get from consuming whole foods.
Is kale still nutritious when blended? ›
Kale and many members of the brassicaceae family are incredible sources of fiber and energy that can replace less healthy foods in a diet. Kale smoothies are delicious and filled with lots of healthy nutrients.
What is the healthiest way to prepare kale? ›
Steaming is a better option than boiling because you don't lose as many nutrients with this cooking method, according to Gray. “You're not giving it heat treatment for very long, so it's closest to raw that you can get and you still are cooking it to some degree,” she said.
