Wondering can you freeze kale? The quick answer is…yes! Learn how to freeze kale, spinach, and other greens the right way so they don’t go to waste. Plus, learn how freezing kale can be helpful for green smoothies or other recipes.
Why I started Freezing Kale and Spinach (and You Should Too!)
It is hard to believe not that longer ago kale and/or spinach was not a part of my diet. That’s right…I was a late adapter to greens. In fact, up until 6 or so years ago I never used kale or spinach in any recipe and would never think to throw a handful into a smoothie.
Of course, I had heard of green smoothies but they didn’t spark my interest for some reason. Thankfully, I started to hear so many people raving about green smoothies that I was finally convinced to give it a try.
You probably aren’t surprised to hear me say that once I started to drink green smoothies, I never went back.
Honestly, these fruit and veggie-packed beverages make me feel on top of the world. I have more energy, clarity, and everything about my body just feels better. So basically I love green smoothies.
Here’s a few posts I put together on green smoothies:
How to add Protein to Green Smoothies Without Protein Powder
Adding Kale and Spinach to Smoothies
When it comes to smoothies, my “green” of choice is often kale and spinach. You can use any green but those are my the two I prefer. If you’re just starting out with green smoothies then I recommend using spinach or baby spinach which has a more mild flavor. Add kale a little at a time until you get used to the flavor.
I always purchase a HUGE bag from BJ’s Wholesale Club and can easily get 2 weeks of smoothies out of it. However, a couple times I didn’t use the kale or spinach right away and it went bad. I absolutely HATE throwing food out.
Not only does it make me feel terrible, but to me it is equivalent to setting money on fire. So I am always trying to figure out ways to save food before it goes bad – especially if I am not going to use it right away.
Anyway, it only took me throwing a bag of greens out twice before the light bulb went off in my head that I could freeze kale and spinach ahead of time. Don’t ask me why it took having to waste 2 bags of greens before I finally had this revelation. I blame my kids – they are always distracting me 🙂
How to Freeze Kale and Other Greens
I’ve experimented with a lot of different methods of freezing kale and spinach. Each one is good, but some are easier than others. After plenty of trial and error, these are the 3 ways to start freezing kale.
And yes, these methods could be used for all greens.
Two of the options are super easy and the other one takes a bit more effort.
Option #1: Freezing Kale in Plastic Freezer Bags.
You can portion the kale and/or spinach out or just shove it all into 1 or 2 freezer bags and take out what you need when you need it. This has actually become my preferred method because it’s easy. The kale can be used directly from the freezer for the smoothie – no need to thaw.
You can also use it soups and other recipes straight from the freezer. The only recipe it would not work in is a salad or a recipe where you would need fresh greens. The texture of the kale, spinach, or greens changes once it is frozen and then thawed. Other than that it is good to go.
A couple favorite recipes that include spinach and kale:
Kale and Bacon Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
Option #2: How to Freeze Kale as Part of a Smoothie Kit
This is another one of my favorite ways to freeze kale. Smoothie kits are basically individual bags filled with your smoothie ingredients. When you are ready to make your smoothie you just dump the bag in your blender, add liquid, and blend.
Smoothie kits are a great way to make sure you have all the ingredients you need for your smoothies. You don’t have to worry about running out of any ingredient – including kale – because it is all part of the kit.
You can read more about frozen smoothie packs in this post.
The Best Green Smoothies
If you like variety in your diet, you’ve got to bookmark these recipes. I love each of these.
Here are some of my favorite green smoothie recipes using frozen kale or spinach:
- Detox Green Smoothie
- Tropical Green Smoothie
- Blueberry Kale Green Smoothie
- Banana Peanut Butter Green Smoothie
- Strawberry Kale Smoothie
- Apple Ginger Green Smoothie
- Blueberry Detox Smoothie
Smoothie Kit Tools and supplies:
- Quart size Ziplock Freezer Bags.
- Reusable Storage Bags. If you’re looking for a non-plastic freezer storage option then check these out. These are one of the more affordable brands with great reviews.
- Storage Bag Rack – these make it so much easier to fill the bags with smoothie ingredients.
Option #3: Puree Before Freezing Kale
This one takes more effort and I personally do not think it is necessary for a smoothie. However, if you want to make sure your kale is completely pureed in your smoothie then yes, maybe this option would be good for you.
However, the main benefit of this option is to have frozen kale pureed and ready to go when you want to sneak some pureed kale into a recipe like chili, soup, etc. So, if you’re wanting to sneak in some veggies then this would be a great option.
All you need to do is throw kale in a blender, blend, and add water until it purees and becomes the consistency you want. Then pour into muffin tins and freeze. Once frozen remove from muffin tins, put into a plastic bag, and place in the freezer.
Learning how to freeze kale, spinach, and other greens ahead of time will help you save money and reduce waste. Any other tips you would like to add?
Marvin says
if i were to puree the kale or not, how long does it last in the freezer?
Tammy Kresge says
about 3 months.
Sheral says
Great idea! Bumper crop of kale and new freezer. Done. Thank you!!!
jamie says
Hello 🙂
I am wondering if one can juice frozen kale?
carolina says
does it has to be a plastic bag? can i use a plastic container instead?
Tammy Kresge says
sure any container will work.
Maxine says
We had tons of Kale this year from our garden and my husband just tossed it in plastic freezer bags. I was hoping it would keep. Thank you for the article.
chelsea says
I was wondering how long does the kale stay good in the freeze how long before i should throw it out if its not used?
Donna says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I thought I had to blanch the kale first before freezing it. Actually let a huge bag go to waste because I didn’t have time to process it! As long as they stay in a frozen/semi-frozen state, is there any vegetable that wouldn’t work the same way for smoothies? I’ve been thinking about how I could use cucumbers other than fresh and in pickles or relish. Would be grateful to hear back. Thanks!
Else says
I wonder about the loss of nutrients i.e. enzymes etc when kale etc is frozen or are the enzymes intact?
Art says
I was wondering the same thing. I hope a reply is posted soon.
Tammy Kresge says
From my understanding frozen vegetables keep their nutrients.
Rudee says
Only flash frozen vegetables keep their nutrients.
Janice says
I actually purée it and freeze it directly in the zip bags. I don’t put it in muffin cups first and skipping that step works great. I just have to throw the Baggie away afterwards.
DWest says
How much purée do you put in a bag to equal 2 cups of fresh greens?
Nora Manwiller says
I would like to know too!
Susan says
I use option number one. I found a good source of prewashed baby kale at Cosco. The 1.5 lb. bag goes directly in our freezer as soon as we get it home. After it is frozen solid, I take it out of the freezer and hit the bag with a rolling pin to crush the frozen leaves into tiny pieces. It’s very therapeutic, and the bag takes up less space in the freezer that way. When I want to make a smoothie, I use a measuring cup to scoop out the crushed frozen kale.
Lori says
Haha! I want to try it just for the therapy benefits.
Sherry says
That’s GENIUS!! I’m SO gonna do that!
Deb says
In option #2, what all do you have in the bags?
Stephanie says
If you click the link in the text above (“creating your own smoothie kits”), you can see what Paula puts in her smoothies.
Jill says
I used method #3 for a year before not having time to do it once before the kale was going to go bad. I tossed the whole bag in the freezer. It is so much faster and easier for smoothies than pre purée ing it.
Lilly says
Green smoothies are so nutritious and awesome. I never at greens until I started making green smoothies. I have to admit that I had to start freezing my kale too because we used up the spinach faster than kale when I buy greens. But, this cuts down on a lot of wasted greens. I love the way that you have your smoothie kit ready to go. This will save a lot of time. This just proves that no one really has an excuse not to eat healthier. I like tropical green smoothies to. Do you ever make blended smoothies? Here is my favorite blended smoothie recipe:
1 handful of kale
1 juiced apple
1 juice orange
2 bananas
Blend… it is soo yummy. There is another awesome recipe I found below.
Lilly ~ http://recipesforjuicers.info/green-smoothie-recipes/
Michel says
I am into juicing lately and have a ton of kale in my garden…also have the ingredients you listed in your post…will be making I today! Thanks for sharing!