Wilted Honey Butter Kale Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is kale good wilted? ›

Is wilted kale OK to cook? Yes, you can cook and eat wilted kale, as long as it doesn't grow bacteria or smell revolting. Before you cook wilted kale, though, you might as well try to revitalize it. You just need to chop the stems off, fill your sink with some water, and set the wilted kale in the sink.

Instead, after you've washed the leaves, leave them damp. The water that clings to the leaves will create steam when you toss them in the hot skillet. As the kale cooks, you'll cover the skillet for a few minutes; that steam will help wilt and break down the kale perfectly.

Kale (Or Any Dark Leafy Greens)

Since the large stems should absorb water better than the tough leaves, try standing your kale up in a glass of water with some ice cubes in it. Or if your greens are in really bad shape, plunge them into a salad bowl with some ice water and a tablespoon of salt.

Rehydrate: If the greens are wilted, but not spoiled, you can try rehydrating them. Submerge the greens in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes, or until they have perked up. Then, dry them thoroughly before using. Cook: If the greens are slightly spoiled, you can still cook them.

As kale contains a variety of nutrients, a person can consume it regularly as part of a balanced diet. However, some people may need to limit how much kale they consume. These include people taking beta blockers and blood thinners, as well as people with kidney disease.

People who may need to avoid or limit kale intake are those who form oxalate-containing kidney stones or take the blood thinners Coumadin or warfarin. Be sure to check with your health care professional or dietitian if you have questions.

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.

Soak your sad, droopy greens in hot—not cool, definitely not cold—water and watch them resurrect like a time-lapse video in reverse. Try it for yourself. Fill a large bowl with very hot tap water (around 120°F) and plunge your wilted greens. Let them soak for 10–30 minutes, then drain.

💧 Water Woes: Too Much or Too Little

Look for mottled leaves and mysterious spots that scream, "I'm drowning here!" But don't get complacent; underwatering will have your kale gasping for moisture, with leaves turning as pale and droopy as a neglected houseplant.

You might not want to toss kale stems right into your salad bowl, but that doesn't mean they don't belong. Add more heft to your lunch by slicing the stems thinly—or even shaving them on a mandoline. Toss them in after massaging the greens for a crisp, fresh crunch.

How do you make kale taste better? ›

Massaging Kale – massaging kale with a little oil and/or lemon juice for just a few minutes makes it more tender and easier to chew. Plus, it adds an extra boost of flavor.

Kale leaves can also be massaged with a little olive oil. Adding salt and squeezing lemon make a big difference by removing bitterness. Adding some spicy or sweet flavors may help tame the strong flavor of bitter kale. For example, tossing in some dried fruit helps balance the bitter with some sweet.

Kale can be frozen without blanching but should be used within 4 weeks. Blanching greens before freezing stops the naturally-occurring ripening enzymes in the leaves. This will ensure that the leaves taste fresh and will not develop a bitter taste. Blanched kale will last up to 1 year in the freezer.

A few years ago we found that soft leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, or arugula can be revived by simply soaking them in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes.

If you want to save your celery, kale or spinach to eat later as leftovers, plan to reheat them in a conventional oven rather than a microwave. When blasted in the microwave, naturally occurring nitrates (which are very good for you on their own) may convert to nitrosamines, which can be carcinogenic, studies show.