Curly Kale - Is it Ready?

[mogs]

Hi

I planted out some Dwarf Curly Kale around May/June and to be honest it looks like there's nowt Dwarf about it. It's now about 3ft high and 2ft wide. I've read in the books that it should be harvested in winter from the inside out, but it looks to me like there's loads of edible stuff already on there.

Do I just leave it until Winter or would it be edible now? I've eaten Kale before, but never from my own plants, so unsure as to how it should look when you start picking.

[HayleyB]

If it looks edible then eat it.

It's just early as Kale don't normally go out until Summer - it is cut and come again but you may find it doesn't make it to winter as it may bolt with the hot weather that is bound to arrive again or am I too optimistic

[Farmer_Gyles]

"if it looks edible then eat it" ??!!

i see wrinkly curly leaves - they don't look edible to me - but then i don't know what kale leaves are supposed to look like when they're edible !!!

anyone got pics of what they look like when they'r edible? mine are about 2ft high, 2ft wide at the mo - can't remember if they're the black tuscany or dwarf green variety ...

[Two_Sheds]

FG, all the leaves are edible.

[HayleyB]

If they are black tusc then the leaves will be dark, and the green kale will be green (men ) Chop into slices and cook like cabbage I prefer stir fry in butter - yummy

[Nicos]

I pick mine from the outside in so they produce more and more.
Mine are only knee high- and I'll need to wait a few more weeks for them to fatten up....remember they're meant to last though til late next spring...but it's fantastic to be able to take some leaves already!!!

different varieties look different...

http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com...09/02/kale.jpg

http://example.farmnotebook.com/file.../small/623.jpg

http://www.recipetips.com/images/glo...e_lacinato.jpg

etc....


did you grow it from seed?...did you keep the packet???


I steam mine

[gojiberry]

At this time of the year the outside leaves should be tender enough to eat and will encourage the plant to produce more leaves in the centre. I have black tuscany a ruby one and another I forget the name of but is similar to the ruby.

Ian

[mogs]

Thanks All....... tomorrow I will be mainly eating Curly Kale!! .... and to get that Tapas feeling, I will steam some, boil some and stir fry some

[Nicos]

...... tomorrow I will be mainly eating Curly Kale!! ....

Ha!!!..and I bet ity's yummy!!

[ktsj]

Kale can be eaten at any time, it's not as good till it get's a good frost but it's edible (still yummy just not as yummy)

It's my first year growing it myself but i was told that if you want kale over winter then to leave it alone till then just because harvesting it now weaken's the plant and if the plants to weak it won't survive the frosts.

This said what i've done is "designated" some of my plants for NOW and some are being saved for winter.

Warning though kale grow's fast, i've got 4 plants (now designated) and it just grows and grows no matter how much i harvest i turn around and it's huge again, i keep giving it away and no-matter how much i chop it seems to bounce back twice as big.

On saturday i harvested a massive carrier bag full for a friend, at least 15 full leaves, monday i cut some more for tea Stirfry'ed in butter with black pepper.. yum, then yesterday i made a beef and kale stew and if you looked at the plants today you could easy cut some more without any worry about "over doing it", not to mention to 3 full freezer bags of the stuff i have tucked in the freezer (goodness knows why im saving some as it overwinters anyway)

I'm Soooo please, but next year i will be planting much less than my current 12 plants.

[Farmer_Gyles]

cheers for the info
if i'm going to freeze some, does it need chopping / blanching etc??

[Two_Sheds]

This said what i've done is "designated" some of my plants for NOW and some are being saved for winter.

A good way to do this is to plant closer together (say, 4" apart instead of 9") and eat alternate ones until autumn. Then you leave the rest to grow on into large winter plants.

[ktsj]

cheers for the info
if i'm going to freeze some, does it need chopping / blanching etc??

I just strip it off the stem, wash it and bung it into a freezer bag, it's been fine, it's pretty cool really cause frozen it crumbles really easily so you can crumble it into dishes like cassarolle etc without needing to do any chopping.

[pendragon]

This is one of the many threads that made me finally delurk - have you tried kale enchiladas? Stumbled across the recipe on hinternet and it's fabby doo - not that you can go far wrong with kale ANY way you cook it

[Keith2202]

This is one of the many threads that made me finally delurk - have you tried kale enchiladas? Stumbled across the recipe on hinternet and it's fabby doo - not that you can go far wrong with kale ANY way you cook it

Welcome to the 'vine. Surely you're not going to drop that tempting hint in without leaving the recipe?