Did You Know?
So most of you already probably know about kale and its amazing leaves to harvest. I absolutely love kale! I love to make kale chips, throw some kale into my eggs or sauté kale with a little butter and salt… oh my, can’t wait to harvest my kale this spring!
But today I want to share with you something totally different about kale, something you might not already know! Did you know that you can get two completely different vegetables from the same 1 kale plant?
Well I am here to tell you that you can! This post has been a year in the making! Don’t let that scare you, I will explain that in one moment.
Growing Kale
Last spring (2011) I planted my kale, a cool weather crop, in the very early spring. You can also plant your kale in the fall and harvest up to your first major freeze.
I was quite surprised how hardy kale really is. I live in Wisconsin and we have some pretty brutal winters up here. In January after several snow falls, my kale was still living.
So after I planted my kale in the very early spring, I harvested my leaves until the warm summer came. Once the warm summer came, the kale became quite bitter so I knew my season was over for that kale plant.
Winterizing Kale
Normally I would pull the plant, but a friend of mine told me that kale could be wintered over and produce a second harvest that is all together a different vegetable. So here is what I did!
After my spring harvest was no longer edible, I cut the kale at the base of the plant, leaving about 3 inches of stalk coming out of the soil.
This was done in the warm late summer months. If your kale continues to grow that is fine, you will still produce the second vegetable real soon. Now allow the plant to go dormant and winter over.
Growing The Same Kale Plant The Following Spring
It is now springtime 2012, 1 year later after I planted this first plant. Here is what my plant looks like.
Remember, this was planted 1 year ago and this plant has gone through freezing temperatures and now it is spring and it has started to grow as a perennial would.
Kale’s Second Vegetable
Look closely at this plant above. Notice that there are clusters at the top of the plant. Now the leaves are still edible AND the clusters are edible too.
These clusters are very similar to broccoli! Just like broccoli, the kale plant produces a flower (the clusters).
Now the flower/cluster has not bloomed or bolt to seed yet and the little buds on the clusters are still closed up. You want to make sure that you eat this vegetable before it flowers.
Once the buds open up and flower, the plant or clusters are no longer edible. Here is a close up of what your clusters look like.
How To Cook This New Vegetable
When you decide to harvest your clusters, just steam them as you would broccoli. I steamed mine for less then 5 minutes in just about a 1/2 inch of water.
The color of the clusters turned a nice bright green color! Do not overcook.
Drain and add some grass fed butter and some sea salt. You will be amazed how wonderful these truly are!
Have you ever got a second vegetable from your kale plant?
What are some of your favorite kale recipes?
Haven’t tried kale yet.
But I love growing things…are these easy growers?
I had so much springtime kale head “broccolini” last spring that I blanched and froze it in serving sized portions. It was great tossed into soups and chopped, steamed and stirred into mashed potatoes with a bit of raw cheese and butter!
Julie it was you who taught me this wasn’t it? I couldn’t remember at the time who taught me this and now ahhhhh it was you 🙂 We did discuss this last year right?
Donna kale is super easy to grow! Give it a try, it taste so good right out of the garden!
I have some in the fridge that I bought , haven’t had a chance to try it yet…doing so in a bit, what is the flavor like? Have had “greens” (southern style) that were horribly bitter, so I have been afraid to try it.
Yes, Halle. I thought I was just being lazy when I didn’t tear out my kale bed the fall before. What a lovely accident! Donna, I’ve never liked the big, mature kale leaves because of the bitter factor. But if you can find them young or grow your own and pick them when they’re the size of your hand or smaller, they’re yummy.
I eat the flowers as well.
Stephie good to know, some of mine shot to seed, I will try the flowers 🙂
You know, I have been growing kale for years and I just learned this year about the flower buds. I have been enjoying them raw in salads and they are wonderful.
@Wonderwoman Stephie (below) just said the same thing about enjoying the flowers! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
I only planted Kale this year, 1 12 foot row gave me 14 bags (plastic grocery bags). Plants still growing now in October in B.C. Canada. I will try to see if I can get a new crop in the spring on the same plants and plant more in the spring. thanks for the info.
Or you could give up your dairy addiction and use…some…oil….that wasn’t stolen from a raped mother’s nipples instead of going to her baby… YOU support this, cowsucker: meatvideo.com
It takes all sorts of people I suppose. I just don’t know why…
Thank you for sharing this. I want to share my observation, as I have encountered a mystery of the kale world. I have no idea how it happened, but the first time I planted kale from a seed – it grew up just like a kale would – giving the hearty hard green leaves. Then, when it produced seed later on – I gathered it and planted it again about two years later. But the seedlings looked completely different – more spiky and long. Now, as I have transplanted them, they start showing a little center like on your picture, as if of a flower appearing.
I was really second guessing myself about the seed I have planted. But since I don’t have any other seed than the second years – it was just all a mystery to me. Which shows that the same result can happen with the seed.
Thanks, Halle! I was seeking advice on winterizing my kale in New Hampshire, and am glad I found your blog. Will do as you did, hoping for those broccoli-like sprouts next spring.