Kale does not only enjoy cult status in northern Germany. Because of its valuable ingredients, it has long since conquered gourmet kitchens and there is hardly a food blog that does not contain at least one kale recipe. But before you can enjoy it, you have to wash and prepare the vegetables. With our tips, this work can be done quickly.

Kale should be washed thoroughly

Clean and prepare kale

Since kale is very curly, small insects like to crawl into the leaves. Soil residue and other dirt must also be carefully washed off before consumption.

  1. First rinse the entire stalk under running water.
  2. Then snap off the leaves. Withered or discolored parts are disposed of immediately.
  3. Pluck the ruffled foliage along the midrib.
  4. Keep the sink full of water and add the kale.
  5. Wash all leaves thoroughly.
  6. Lift out the cabbage and place in a large colander.
  7. Fill in fresh water.
  8. Wash again very carefully.

Why does kale turn bitter?

This may be due to the variety. In most cases, however, one of the following reasons is responsible for the unpleasant taste:

  • The cabbage was stored too long or incorrectly. If the leaves are no longer crisp dark green, their aroma changes.
  • You were not careful enough when cleaning and some stalk or stalk parts ended up in the dish unintentionally.
  • Blanch the cabbage before preparing it and instead of using the water to cook the vegetables, discard them. Bitter substances collect in the blanching water.
  • A pinch of sugar counteracts the bitter taste. A good dash of cream or a knob of butter can also help.
  • You have caught a variety that should only be harvested after the first frost. The cold slows down the metabolic processes in the cabbage and the vegetables taste milder. Freezing the blanched cabbage overnight before preparing it has the same effect.

Storage after purchase

You can recognize fresh kale by the hard leaves that squeak when you rub them together. Do not wash the cabbage before putting it in the crisper, as this will negatively affect its shelf life. To keep it nice and crunchy, you can wrap it in a clean, slightly damp tea towel. In this way, the winter cabbage will keep for about a week.

tips

Since washing and cleaning fresh kale is quite time-consuming, many shy away from this work. Frozen goods are a good alternative, which usually don't differ much in taste from fresh brown cabbage. If you are often in a hurry, you can briefly blanch the prepared cabbage after washing and freeze portions in advance.

Category:

Vegetable garden