Planetagarden
So, if you're finding spines on kale leaves in your garden, it's possible you might have inadvertently purchased turnip plants. The shape and frilliness of turnip leaves can closely resemble some varieties of kale. ... Additionally, cooking softens the thorns, which makes turnip leaves palatable.
- Can you eat kale that has flowered?
- Can I eat purple kale?
- Can you eat kale seedlings?
- How do you harvest kale without killing the plant?
- What parts of kale are edible?
- Why is my kale bolting?
Can you eat kale that has flowered?
Flowering kale and cabbage, also called ornamental cabbage and kale, are two colorful stars of the fall garden. You can actually eat them, but they're really grown for their pretty leaves.
Can I eat purple kale?
Baby kale is best eaten raw in salads, but is tough enough to be sautéed like spinach. Purple kale. You might occasionally come across purple kale, or Redbor kale. ... Slightly sweeter than curly or Tuscan kale, purple kale adds color to any dish and handles cooked and raw preparations with ease.
Can you eat kale seedlings?
You can sprout kale, too. As with other varieties, the seeds are soaked in water until they grow roots and tiny leaves (the process takes a couple of days). The entire sprout is edible. ... All that energy translates into an extra-sweet and tender "kale-adjacent" flavor.
How do you harvest kale without killing the plant?
Along with leaving the smaller, central leaves, it's important not to harvest too much of the plant at a time. Pick a few leaves from each plant, leaving at least one third of the leaves intact. Picking the oldest leaves from the kale when you harvest also ensures that you'll be able to use up the entire plant.
What parts of kale are edible?
Using Kale
Kale leaves have thick fibrous stems. They stems are edible, so leave them in if you enjoy crunchy foods. Or you can take them out, if you are not used to eating lots of fiber, or if you want to make a more delicate dish. To strip out the stems, grasp a kale leaf with one hand by the stem.
Why is my kale bolting?
Kale can bolt the following spring when it overwinters in your garden. When the temperatures begin to warm it can send up a flower stalk because it is a biennial plant that produces flowers and seed the second year of its life cycle. The leaves will become more bitter when it bolts.
