Why Do You Have to Massage Kale? Plus Hacks for Making It Easier (2024)

FAQs

Why Do You Have to Massage Kale? Plus Hacks for Making It Easier? ›

Massaging kale helps to break down its tough texture and make it more palatable. Softened kale is easier to chew and makes salads more enjoyable.

The point of massaging is to infuse the kale with the lemon juice and oil, and also to break down some of the tough, fibrous characteristics of kale. This makes it easier to chew and digest, and makes for a more tender salad. Season with salt, massage/toss once more, then set aside.

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.

While kale is popular because of it's sturdy and strong leaves, it's possible to have greens that are stiff and make salads, soups, and smoothies hard to chew (and taste bitter!). However, there is a way to tenderize kale: by massaging it!

And if you're working with tender baby kale, the kind you find packed in plastic tubs with the salad greens, you definitely don't need to massage it—that stuff is delicate enough to eat on its own, and massaging it will just wilt it in a gross way. You need to love your kale before it loves you.

You can keep this simple massaged kale in an airtight container or bowl in the fridge for about 3-4 days. The longer it sits, the softer and more flavourful it will get!

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.

It's often eaten raw in salads and smoothies but can also be enjoyed steamed, sautéed, boiled, or baked. Along with broccoli and Brussels sprouts, kale is a cruciferous vegetable that offers an array of potential health benefits.

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.

How do you get the bitterness out of kale? ›

Massage kale by rubbing it with your hands until it looks a little wilted and darker. This quick process helps release the bitterness. Kale can be massaged with salad dressing for 10+ minutes.

Some people like to use both oil and an acidic ingredient, since acid can really help break down the kale. On a similar note, if you are using a dressing with lemon juice or a vinegar, you can skip the step of massaging kale. Just let the salad sit for a half hour in the dressing to soften the kale instead.

The enthusiasts aren't wrong---massaging kale does help wilt and soften the leaves, but it's also partially to blame for kale's bitterness. That's because crushing the leaves breaks down the cell walls of two important chemicals naturally present in kale---the myrosinase enzyme and glucosinolates.

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.

Some people like to use both oil and an acidic ingredient, since acid can really help break down the kale. On a similar note, if you are using a dressing with lemon juice or a vinegar, you can skip the step of massaging kale. Just let the salad sit for a half hour in the dressing to soften the kale instead.

Massaged kale is a game-changer.

Think you don't like raw kale? Massaging it might change your mind! It takes away that sharp raw flavor and softens the texture.

A bonus about using this method is that it will stay in the refrigerator for a good week even after massaging - unlike other more delicate leafy greens which tend to wilt and become soggy after chopping. Kale will keep its soft but chewy texture without becoming mushy.