If you love kale and have a hard time using it up, yet don’t want to stock a bunch in your freezer (learn to freeze kale), there’s an awesome way to preserve kale for long-term storage and use it all the time!
Dehydrate and crush it!
Those words sound so fierce, don’t they? But it’s really easy, even if you don’t have a dehydrator (but it sure helps when you’ve got a lot to do. Check out these instructions to dehydrate), and makes for some great boosts of nutrition when added to your food.
Before we get started, here’s WHY you want to use Kale everywhere you can possibly use it. It’s a Superfood. According to Web M.D.:
One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.HOW TO MAKE KALE POWDER
1. Take your crispy, dehydrated kale leaves and load them into your blender
2. Pulse them over and over and over and over and over again, pausing to allow the leaves to settle. Then pulse some more. When I think I’ve pulsed enough, I move to blend. I want this stuff pretty powdery.
3. Pour into an airtight container. Store in cool, dry place.
It really is that easy. I do try to make sure I get any bigger pieces that have not powdered well and throw them back into the blender. Don’t ask me how long it can last. We’ve used it up long before we have to worry about shelf life. But if you’re going to be storing long-term, consider putting into smaller containers and using an oxygen absorber in your storage bottles or vacuum sealing them with a machine (the two major brands come with attachments to vacuum seal canning jars – it’s really the coolest thing!)
Don’t know how to dehydrate kale? Check it out here!
HOW TO USE KALE POWDER
- Take jar
- Open jar
- Insert spoon
- Collect powder
- Sprinkle it on
That was so easy, wasn’t it? Wait – you really wanted ideas, didn’t you? So here we go.
We add kale powder to:
Spaghetti Sauce – I sprinkle in 2 TB
Meatloaf or other casserole dishes – I sprinkle what looks to be a good amount liberally throughout mix or casserole. I eyeball it.
Eggs – we use it in scrambled eggs.
Salads – I use it as a sprinkle on top of my salads if I can’t get fresh kale to add to the mix.
Garnish – I garnish my dishes with this. I know most people will use fresh chopped parsley because of its ‘brightness’, but I choose to add a little extra boost of nutrition with kale. Sue me.
Smoothies – if I don’t have fresh or frozen kale left, I will use the powder, instead, and do a tablespoon per person
YOUR THOUGHTS? Do you get the idea? You can add it to ANYTHING! What are ways you love eating kale?
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We’re not big fans of Kale, but this has certainly given me some ideas on how to use it in more palatable ways. Thank you 🙂
Glad it gave you some ideas!!! Try it in smaller doses and increase as you go.
On Fri, Jul 12, 2013 at 9:10 AM, Mom With a Prep Blog – Helping Prepare
I don’t have a garden, as live in apartment. I dehydrate kale, spinach, collards, romaine, any green I can, and powder all in my Nutribullet. Mix them together store in a glass jar in cool dark place. I add to green smoothies with fresh veggies and greens plus a little lemon juicea touch of honey. It is almost like a dessert, and it’s filling. Add to any green soup (like in pea soup. mmm) also to my healthy fudge; . cocoa, sweetener, nuts ground fine, almond milk, mix . you don’t really notice the green powder, well, I don’t.
does the kale lose the nutritional value when dried?
The loss is miniscule compared to not using it at all 😉
we sautee in olive oil and a pinch of garlic powder then toss with pine nuts and craisins
Thanks for the tip!
This sounds delicious! Kale, pinenuts an craisons, brilliant! What would you serve this on?
Well,if I’m doing fresh kale with additions – that’s a salad. But there is a list of the way I use the powdered kale there in the article.
Kale chips. Like potato chips, but Kale instead. Spray clean, washed Kale (I tear it into smaller pieces) with Pam (I make it from EVO and water), arrange on tin foil on cookie sheet, bake at 300 degrees for about 10 – 15 mins.
Thanks for that, Patty – I included it on the Dehydrate Kale page for the readers with your credit. Thanks!
Sprinkle some nutritional yeast on it after your dash of oil and they become ‘cheese’ flavored! I also keep kale juice in my freezer, stocking up whenever there is a sale, to add to smoothies.
“Spray clean, washed Kale (I tear it into smaller pieces) with Pam (I make it from EVO and water),”.
Pam and other products like it contain a propellant that can be toxic if consumed in large quantities. If you read the instructions for using Pam and others, the serving size is “1 second of spraying” and it states its to coat pans to create a non-stick surface.
Either use olive oil out of the bottle or purchase a pump, such as misto, to make your own propellant free oil sprayer.
I just made Kale chips last night. I put the leaves in a bowl and sprinkled olive oil on them then gently mixed with my hands, then proceeded to roast them in the oven
Lisa,
Patty wasn’t saying that she uses Pam. She said she makes her own version of Pam, a less harmful, all-natural cooking spray made from water and olive oil, much like you suggested in your last sentence.
The link isnt working for the directions if you have a dehydrator. 🙁 Love this idea though and we are doing it now as we just picked a whole bunch of kale this morning. 🙂
Sorry about that! I put in the preview link instead of the real link! Here you go! https://momwithaprep.wordpress.com/2013/07/11/how-to-dehydrate-kale/
On Sat, Jul 13, 2013 at 12:35 PM, Mom With a Prep Blog – Helping Prepare
Hey using them in scrambled eggs is a great idea. I hadn’t thought of that. Hope you have a great day.
Wow, I have a LOT of kale in my garden and I’ve always wondered about preserving it. Freezing is definitely out! I’m going to try this this year!
I love this idea. Kale grows year round here but my kids don’t really like it. This would be a great way to get in a little extra nutrition.
This reminds me of how Salad Mallow is used. I’ve just started growing salad mallow this year since I’ve heard such good things about it – very high in protein, which is unusual for a green. Plus it dries well for storage.
http://permaculturenews.org/2009/05/06/permaculture-main-crops-of-special-importance-salad-mallow/
Do you take the Kale off the stems to do this? Since your turning it into a powder I was wondering if you included the stems, or does it make the powder bitter? We love Kale chips and I dehydrate it to add to stews…but running out of shelf and freezer space (garden is very productive this year) and thought of condensing down to the powder.
Yes, ma’am – when you dehydrate the leaves, you’ll want the thick ribs cut out because they just cause more problem than they are worth in nutrition – toss those into your compost heap! Congrats on the great bounty!
On Sat, Jul 20, 2013 at 8:27 AM, Mom With a Prep Blog – Helping Prepare
“when you dehydrate the leaves, you’ll want the thick ribs cut out because they just cause more problem than they are worth in nutrition”.
Kale stems and the stems of all leafy greens are PACKED with nutrition. The stems carry the nutrients from the soil into the cells of the leaves. The are the nutrient highway! I dry and powder the stems and the leaves. The stems take longer to dry, but once they are dry they powder just the same as the leaves and taste just as good as the leaves. Why waste something so nutrient dense just because it takes a bit more time. To me, the high nutritional value of the stems is in no way ‘causing more trouble than they are worth in nutrition’ because they are LOADED with nutrition.
Thanks for sharing your opinion, Lisa! I prefer to toss my stems back into the compost pile as I don’t process them separately from the leaves in the dehydrator, so their nutrients are used elsewhere.
On Sun, Aug 4, 2013 at 11:17 AM, Mom With a Prep Blog – Helping Prepare
You can add the stems to bone broth.
This worked like a charm!! Thanks for the tip!!!! I have tons of kale in the garden and I was running out of ideas!!!
Awesome, Sara! So glad!
On Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 7:37 AM, Mom With a Prep Blog – Helping Prepare
Brilliant! I cannot believe this has never occured to me!
Do you think this would work with spinach too?
Marissa – we’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it would work the exact same way! You just wouldn’t have to dehydrate long since spinach is less bulky than kale, so keep a close eye on it.
Thanks! Hoping to try it soon, ans I will let everyone know!
I did it! This DOES work with spinach! I set my oven to 200, propped the door with a ball of aluminum foil, and it took about 30 minutes. I also used a small food processor instead of a blender.
that’s great to know! Thanks for updating!
I started dehydrating spinach because it grows bad before we can eat. This is the only way I will have spinach in my house. I buy it and it go on the dehydrator immediately. It rehydrates like a dream.
I do the same with broccoli for the exact same reasons.
great site. Considering powdering my 300 sq ft of growing kale, but am concerned about loosing the fiber benefits. Currently, I am removing stem, then dehydrating then crunching into quart mason jars. Got about 30 lbs of kale into 8 jars. Still get a wonderful taste, and the texture and fiber.
Well, if it’s going to waste because you can’t eat it all, fiber won’t be an issue 🙂 I’m looking at it as added nutritional benefit to things I’m eating if I’m not eating it raw, so getting the vitamins and added benefits even if not the full fiber. I compost the stems.
If you dry at a higher heat setting in your dehyd tarter then it will crumble very easily…just throw it in a Baggie and squeeze away! Thanks for the great ideas!
How long would you say the shelf life of the powder is?
As with other dried herbs, conventional wisdom says about a year. But because it will be effected by light, temperature, and storage, your mileage may vary.
I do not like the taste of Kale, but had the idea to dry to use in potato soups. Then it was taking up so much space, so I decided to blended, then thought to add to stuff. I now add it to EVERYTHING. It does not add the intense flavor as fresh. I love the fact that I am adding vitamins to everything my family.
I do take the silicon pack from my meds to keep humidity from messing up.
I also dry my celery tops (the leafy parts you normally toss) and blend those to add to soup stocks. The leafy parts give you the best flavor in your stocks. This way I have no waste plus the added health benefits of celery.
Dehydrating he celery heads for stocks is a great idea! I never thought of that. Genius!
I found Kale on sale for $1.50 a bunch, local grown and organic. What a price, so I dried and powdered all 8 bunches.
That’s great!!
I like to mix kale into mashed potatoes with some garlic, bacon, and parmesan cheese then make potatoe cakes out of them!
Great idea!
This is actually a great idea, and I was looking into it since my mother bought a dehydrator recently. Since I can’t even seem to re-try kale in a salad (I really hate the taste of it), I was thinking about other ways to eat it. How much of the powder do you think should be consumed daily for a good source of vitamin? I know kale is good in moderation (an excess of kale can damage your intestines).. maybe just maybe I can put in capsules haha…
I wish I could tell you an exactly correlation between powder to leave, but I’ve never tried to figure it out. We use about a heaping TB of powder in our blender for smoothies, and I’m sure that’s probably about the equivalent of a large salad or two.
This looks great & leads me to another question. I’ve been interested in trying cauliflower in some recipes to make them healthier. Is there an easy way to make and store cauliflower “flour” or is something that needs to made fresh every time?
Thanks!
Anna, I wish I could answer your question. I abhor cauliflower in every form, so I’ve not done anything with it, and really couldn’t find anything when I researched about how it would store. I would imagine it would not store as easily as regular flour because it’s made from a different beginning plant, but you should give it a try and test it out. You might even try dehydrating it to see if that will work!
Thanks Jane! I don’t like cauliflower either, but I’ve heard many people say you truly can’t taste it in the recipes I want to try. I just may try dehydrating it! Thanks for your thoughts! I’ll let you know if I figure something out that works! 🙂
This looks like a great idea! I haven’t done the research, so I’m wondering if anyone else would know. Does dehydrating leafy greens have the same nutritional value as fresh? I do know that you can overcook (boil/saute/microwave) the nutrients out of veggies, wasn’t sure about dehydrating them.
Does kale loose any nutrients when you dehydrate it and make it into a powder ?
As with anytime you take a raw ingredient and change it by cooking, freezing or dehydrating, you do lose a little nutrient value, mostly in the Vitamin C range. It still holds most of its nutrient values.
Hi, I was wondering if I could grill it like kale chips instead of dry in the dehydrator. It is so much faster, but might be too browned. What do yo think?
You just need to be sure they’re perfectly dry. And I would worry about the carcinogens that can come from grilling and storying them long term if you burn the leaves. It will also change the flavor profile considerably, I believe. It really only takes a couple of hours in a dehydrator and you can set it and go.
I took a break from working on the web tonight and found your post. I have a 14.5 yr old basset hound that should have died from his cancer tumors 4 years ago. I read a lot on holistic diets and switched him off grain to high PH, lots of chicken and kale. Anyhow the kale I normally juice raw and drain the fluid into his meal. He doesn’t like it cooked or half shredded I suppose it’s bitter. Never once did I think of dehydrating and using the powder. This is going to be a lifesaver . Thank you.
Hope it helps!
Do not denigrate the humble parsley. It also is loaded with vitamins A and C as well as many minerals, including potassium. It is very helpful to alleviate arthritis and rheumatism by breaking down the crystals that form in the joints. Yes, it is most commonly used as a garnish, but it is actually a super food.
So, I got one of those harvest right freeze dryers and have been freeze drying my abundance of Kale and Swiss chard. But looking for other ways to preserve, and apparently you can lacto ferment/pickle the stems and they are supposed to be quite good.
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/sriracha-fridge-pickles
I may have to try it but usually I just give them to my rabbits and chickens with other kitchen scraps and blackberry and weeds. (Cuts down on the feed they eat as they can’t free range here, too many predators).
Dehydrating kale has never occurred to me. I am not much of a kale fan. I am wondering how much this helps the taste. I would like to get to know kale better. Most of the time it is bitter or to green tasting. Could you rub with lemon before dehydrating? I am trying to ease into liking it.
I do not rub it with anything before dehydrating. I wash, shake dry and toss on the dehydrator. If you eat it as kale chips, it’s still green tasting. But if you powder it, you put it into other things so unless you put a ton in, you don’t really taste it. Give it a try!! If you like spinach better, you can do the same thing.
Hello. Do you know how much raw kale you need to yield 1 lb of powder kale ? Thank You for the great of idea .
No, I’m sorry, I don’t. The powder is light, it would take a lot.
I love to dehydrate kale and use it in lots of foods! It’s so quick and easy to dry, and drying it and crumbling it into powder is a great way to “hide” it in foods for those who don’t like it. Great in soups and practically anything. Especially good to boost nutrition for picky eaters. I also like to dehydrate carrot tops for the same nutrition (and carrot tops are usually wasted).
I add dehydrated kale powder to baked goods – soda bread or muffins.
thank you everyone for sharing your ideas.
what happens when you add dried kale to eggs? (does it turn the dish green or does it disappear?
Dependingon how much you add, it just adds a flekked green pattern. You’d have to add tons (to the point of ruining the dish) to turn the eggs green.
I don’t have a dehydrater how can I dehydrate in oven?
Here are the instructions I posted on how to dehydrate kale: “Now, if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven and baking sheets. Just turn your oven on to it’s lowest setting, put something in the oven door to not allow it to close all the way, and watch those puppies closely. You can bake for about 30 min, and then you’ll have to check for doneness, and continue baking if they aren’t crispy. Don’t overlap them for best effect.”
I love this idea! I’ll be trying it tonight – my neighbor is force-feeding me tons of Kale from her garden! I’d probably use a TBS of it in just about anything I’d add regular spices too – Sunday gravy, meatloaf, you name it!
That’s how we do it all the time!
I usually bundle & hang my kale upside down to dry out, alongside many other herbs. Is this a bad idea for the Kale? Should I be drying them out in the oven instead?
As long as it can dry before ‘rotting’, you’re good to go!! It’s probably fine, though I’ve never done kale that way.
We mix dried kale with boiled potatoes (before draining). Once it dehydrates strain off the liquid and mash the two together. This make an equivalent to the Dutch dish, “Stampot”. Add salt and nutmeg or pepper to taste. Serve with sausages. YUM
Thanks for that!
Hi,
I am wondering if you could use the kale powder to make a form of kale chip…. we have a lot of kale powder from last year and wondering if I mixed the same ingredients as you would if you were making a chip and then pressed onto a baking sheet or into dehydrator on like a fruit roll up sheet if that would work? Does you have any experience with this or suggestions?
I have not, but go for it and get back to us with the results!
Has anyone ever canned kale? I’ve canned kale with cabbage and salt pork, an old German recipe of my grandmothers. Looking for feedback and ideas. Positively
I haven’t myself, but perhaps someone will comment with their experience.