How Do You Get the Bitterness Out of Kale? (2024)

FAQs

How Do You Get the Bitterness Out of Kale? ›

Another trick that works with kale, I don't know why this works, but if you add just a little bit of lemon to kale, which is bitter, it actually makes the kale taste less bitter.

Another trick that works with kale, I don't know why this works, but if you add just a little bit of lemon to kale, which is bitter, it actually makes the kale taste less bitter.

COOKING:

The cooking process can reduce bitterness of kale. Sautéing, baking or stir-frying kale helps to break down the tough cell walls and fibres. Adding in fragrant flavours like olive oil, sea salt, lemon and garlic will round it all out for a great taste.

Massaging kale for salad makes the vegetable more palatable by releasing its bitter compounds and—as a result—making the kale less bitter. This simple process breaks down the vegetable's fibrous texture, making it more tender, easier to chew, and more digestible.

The Fix: Balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour. For naturally bitter foods such as kale, you can soften the flavor by add a lemony vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pomegranate seeds. You can also elevate kale by tossing it olive oil and salt, then roasting it in the oven until crispy.

Add Sweet to Kale: Sweet foods go well with kale because they counter its rather bitter taste. Serve curly kale up as a salad with simple ingredients like a blood orange, mango and slivered almonds or apple, feta and toasted walnuts or cook kale up with caramelized onion.

Adding something that's a bit tangy and sweet will help to balance out the earthy bitterness of the kale. Using lemon and/or vinegar will also help to break it down a bit more.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

Raw kale is fibrous, bitter and can be tough to chew. Blanching it helps soften its fibers and bitterness while making it easier to chew. You definitely don't always have to blanch kale.

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Does freezing kale make it less bitter? ›

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.

Kale is great as a side dish or in a smoothie, and you can't go wrong with steaming it. Steamed kale retains important nutrients, such as calcium, that are important for you to have. Luckily, steaming kale can be as easy as chopping it and putting it in a steamer or microwave.

Massaged kale salads stay well overnight in the refrigerator, and there will likely be no hint of bitterness but all the same nutrients. Kale leaves can also be massaged with a little olive oil. Adding salt and squeezing lemon make a big difference by removing bitterness.

Kale is fibrous and can be difficult to munch compared to other greens like romaine lettuce or spinach. The rubbing, kneading motion helps to tenderize the veg and make it easier to chew and digest. Try this for raw kale you are going to be serving or eating right away.

Another reason to soak kale is that doing so increases its bioavailability, so it's easier for your body to digest and absorb more of those good green nutrients.

Acidity can really bring a pleasant flavor out of bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acidity to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.