Like collards, Kale grows best in well-drained loamy soil fortified with plenty of organic matter. While they will tolerate poorer soils, this could affect their leaf texture and flavor. Offer the plants plenty of nitrogen with a soil pH of about 6.5. Plant in full sun.
Mulching around the base of your Kale plants will help them conserve moisture. Use grass clippings, clean straw, compost or seaweed mulch. This will help keep the soil cool and protect its shallow root structure.
Frosty temperatures enhance the flavor of Kale, so try to hold off harvesting until after a hard frost or two. The cooler temperature turns starches into natural sugars for a sweeter taste. Pluck individual leaves of kale (figuring one or two leaves per serving). To keep Kale in production, leave the developing center buds alone.
You can freeze kale. It is known to have a sweeter taste after being exposed to frost. Kale can also be dehydrated. Curly forms are often prepared as chips, seasoned with salt and other spices.
Use Kale raw for salads, or dehydrate them for crispy chips. They're best when cooked and will serve in any recipe that requires spinach or Swiss chard: Soups, stir-fry, casseroles, omelets, pasta, or as a tasty sauteed side dish.
Kale was one of the most common greens found in Europe through the Middle Ages. Different forms of kale were cultivated in Greece and by the Romans, too. Kale played an important role during World War II