Oven-drying kale

Kale is best when it’s fresh. But if you find yourself with a bumper crop of kale come harvest time, there are a few ways you can preserve it

Freeze it

Freezing kale will change its texture; you won’t want to use pre-frozen kale in a salad. But it will be great in soups, stews, or cooked and blended in a dip (see our recipe for Kale Dip).

Thoroughly wash your kale. Then blanch it by bringing a pot of water with a pinch of salt to a rolling boil. Cook the kale for three minutes, then transfer it to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Blanching helps soften some of the tough fiber in kale, making it easier to eat.

Once you’ve blanched and drained your kale, you can put the leaves, whole, into a freezer bag. Or you can chop the kale into small, manageable pieces— whatever size you’d like to use in future cooking—and then put it in a freezer bag.

Dry it

Drying kale is a great option if you have a bumper crop of tender-leafed kale or if you have sturdier kale that you’d like to use in soups or dips as a crunchy addition.

Kale chips, when properly made, are delicious. See our recipe for Krunchy Kale Chips for details on the drying process.