Everything to Know About Cooking and Shopping for In Season Kale

The best way to shop? With the seasons. So, every 2 weeks at Kitchen Stories, we’ll be highlighting a different in-season ingredient along with 3 new recipes. To market, we go!

Whoever still thinks of kale as a greasy, not-good-for-your-diet food (like the kind you get at German Christmas markets), seems to have missed the memo that kale is now considered a superfood.

Kale has garnered a lot of hype and become a star on the American vegetable market in the last few years. And there are good reasons for it: It’s inherently nutritional and there’s a wide variety of ways to prepare it. In Europe, it’s also celebrating a revival. That might explain why nearly everyone in Berlin drinks kale smoothies and eats kale chips these days.

What is your favorite recipe with kale? Tell us in the comments or upload a picture of your creations!

1. Hello, My Name is Kale

Kale is full of important nutrients like potassium, calcium, and folic acid. Furthermore, there are few vegetables that contain as much vitamin C as kale. It’s full of protein and low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. No wonder that kale is known as a true superfood.

2. When and How to Find the Perfect Kale

Kale season starts in the first cold months of the year. The freezing cold temperatures develop the sweet taste of the kale. The frost also servers to loosen the leave texture, which makes it more digestible. Kale is harvested fresh from the field from September through February. The leaves should have a bright, green color and look fresh and firm.

3. How to Prepare Kale

When preparing fresh kale, bear in mind that it shrinks significantly through cooking. That’s why you need approx. 1 kg/ 2 lbs. of kale for a serving of two.

4. How to Store Kale

Fresh kale shouldn’t be stored longer than 4 days in the vegetable compartment of your fridge. Of course, you can also freeze fresh kale. But first, blanch it in boiling, salty water for approx. 1 – 2 min.

Good to know: Reheated kale tastes better, but keep in mind that it contains a higher level of nitrites, which develop while slowly cooling down and reheating. So you shouldn’t eat reheated kale too often.

5. What to Make Next

All week long, we’ll be featuring new kale recipes on Kitchen Stories. Check back to see what’s new, then try one for yourself! Here's where to start: