I like produce. I like to grow it. I like to eat it. I like to create recipes with it. I’m also kind of a nerd and like to get to know my produce. I like learning new or fun tidbits of info about the produce I’m growing/eating/baking. If you’re a weirdo like me then buckle up for this new series as I dive into a plethora of produce facts and share them with you.
1. Kale has become so enormously popular {with everyone BUT me!} that farming of it grew almost 60% between 2007 and 2015! {WOWZA!}
2. Unlike many veggies, cooking kale doesn’t diminish any of its nutritional benefits, so throw it in all sorts of recipes.
3. Wash that kale like crazy! Kale is one of the most likely crops to have residual pesticides. Ick!
4. Kale is a cancer fighter! It contains high levels of cancer-preventers like glucosinolate phytonutrients. They protect against the development of tumors as well as block enzymes associated with cancer.
5. Kale is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for brain health, reduces Type 2 diabetes risk and boosts heart health! They don’t call it a super food for nothing!
6. Kale can actually be found in many skincare products and even in nail polish. {Weird.}
7. Gram for gram, kale has more than twice the vitamin C as an orange. One cup of chopped kale has 134 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C!
8. Whole Foods tried to make “kalegating” {tailgating with kale} and “kale pong” {beer pong with kale} a thing. Let’s just say it didn’t quite catch on!
9. After a frost, kale becomes sweeter. Hmmm. Maybe I would like it then?
10. Thomas Jefferson was onto the kale craze way before the rest of America. He grew several varieties of kale at his garden in early 1800s.
Had you heard any of those fun facts before? Do you have any of your own to add? Is there a particular produce item you want to know more about? I take requests!
Grow on,
Mavis
Alice says
My dad is just like your “Clarence” the older farmer kind of guy! He asked me this week if I wanted kale. Both my parents said “but we’ll wait to harvest until after the first frost!” Yeah, these older farmer guys know what they’re doing!
Dad is 87 years old and has been a gardener his entire life. My is 85 and she cans and freezes still today. I raised my children on mostly home grown foods from our own very large garden. We recently moved into a smaller home and have no garden but dad still supplies me with a freezer full of goodness from his garden.
Strawberries, green beans, potatoes, butternut squash, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, carrots, grapes, kale, spinach and much more
Alice
Robin in WI says
That’s interesting that kale is sweeter after frost. I tried to like it. Nope. Might as well eat grass.
Mavis Butterfield says
I agree!
Nora says
The same is true for Brussel sprouts. They are harvested after the first frost and are delicious then.
Jeni says
And Spinach, too! After a light frost spinach can be very sweet. But Kale can withstand a harder frost.
UpstateNYer says
I don’t grow my own kale but I add a handful or two of frozen kale to my chicken soup.
UpstateNYer says
That Kale Yeah! bag is hilarious! Where did you find it?
Mavis Butterfield says
Tatertats.com had it a few years ago
Teresa says
Amazon carries it. About $20.00
Lynda says
I didn’t like kale until someone showed me their favorite way to eat it–now mine, too!
All ingredients are “to taste”:
Just steam-fry your chopped, washed kale (any variety) with lemon juice and pressed or chopped garlic until it’s all wilted and combined.
Eat it with a sprinkle of salt.
It’s done in a flash and goes with just about any menu.
Candy C. says
I agree Lynda. Also try baking some kale chips and store in glass jars to snack on during the winter. Yummy! I just give mine a quick rinse as I do not spray anything in my gardens. Just as well purchase it in the stores if I resorted to that practice and save me the time and effort of growing my own. It also does over the winter if you plant the winter hardy types. So good for you!
Stephanie says
I have a shirt that says KALE across the front. Like those YALE college shirts, but for veggies. I love kale. I loathed vegetables growing up, but now they’re some of my favorite things in the world. Kale sauteed with onion and lemon juice is something I could eat until I pass out (is that possible? Loss of consciousness due to overconsumption of kale? I…might volunteer to be the tester for this one…).
Yankeegal says
I am the same when it comes to kale. Love it!! My favorite way is massaged with avocado( makes it so much more palatable) and then topped with either a sweet potato or some roasted butternut squash. Yummy!
Tracy says
How does one “massage with avocados”?
Julie says
Yankeegal says
I just add chopped avocado to a big bowl of chopped kale, stems removed, and work it in with my hands until the kale is soft. Add salt and pepper-yum! First saw this done on The Chew by Daphne Oz.
Jennifer Meyer says
Chopped kale soaked in red wine vinegar, sprinkled with copious amounts of salt, and baked into chips is the only way I can eat it. Delicious!
Deborah says
Kale salad, in soup, wilted with or without spinach, yum, but Swiss chard, not a fan.
Sue says
Different varieties of kale taste different. I don’t like red russian kale at all, kinda/sorta like lacinato (dino) kale, and LOVE curly kale! Maybe you’ll find a variety you like?
Patty says
My Grandpa grew kale way back in the 70’s. My Grandma used to mix it in when she made mashed potatoes…..green mashed potatoes?!
Kari says
Kale is our favorite!!!!!
Cameron Vallentyne says
I grow and love kale but I have found out that I need to eat it cooked,
According to Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute, C, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnips, and collards Bok Choy, contain both progoitrin, a compound that can interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis, and thiocyanate ions, which can crowd out the iodine your thyroid needs.
After eating an extremely large amount of raw cruciferous vegetables, you could experience hormonal irregularities that lead to fluctuations in blood sugar, weight, and overall metabolic health.
If kale is consumed raw chronically and in EXCESS, one could experience a swelling of the thyroid, often called a goiter. Too much of a good thing
Linda says
My mom knew about veggies from the garden and veggies from the field. I’m a vegetable lover- turnip greens, beet greens, dandelion greens, milkweed, chard, and all the regular veggies, I like and eat regularly. I raised my kids to like vegetables. So when I was offered kale, I thought -no biggie. Yuck!
Mama Cook says
Question- Is edible kale the same as ornamental kale? Ornamental Kale is so pretty in the winter garden , but I’m not sure you should eat it?