Kale

sf said:

NOW I know why I don't like kale (it always tastes bitter to me)
I'm talking with Caba (who lives in northern Germany) in rfc chat
right now and she says kale needs the snow to break the bitterness.

That's not true. There are many types of kale, some are bitter when
grown in too warm a climate while others are not. The correct type of
kale needs to be chosen.

Kale is a member of the cabbage family, which is generally a cool
weather crop. Usually a light frost is tolerated but none will survive
a hard frost.

If your kale is bitter it was most likely planted late, left too long
in the field, and/or harvested weeks before you ate it. Young (new)
cabbage/kale freshly picked is sweet.

Few folks, unless they've harvested their own, would know how fresh
cabbage/kale tastes... that from the stupidmarket is almost always
bitter, it's been in storage for weeks, even months.

sf sez:

NOW I know why I don't like kale (it always tastes bitter to me)

Come on down to our local farmers' market! The "bitter" greens (kale, collards, mustard, dandelion, etc.) I purchase there aren't bitter at all. Truly.l

Spitz
--
Mind the runner beans!

Sheldon said:

If your kale is bitter it was most likely planted late, left too long
in the field, and/or harvested weeks before you ate it. Young (new)
cabbage/kale freshly picked is sweet.

My grandfather grew kale. It was not a late harvest unless you call
the middle of summer late and I thought it was bitter tasting. I
doubt he picked it "young" because there was no "ini" in zucchini for
him.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

sf said:

Sheldon said:

If your kale is bitter it was most likely planted late, left too long
in the field, and/or harvested weeks before you ate it. Young (new)
cabbage/kale freshly picked is sweet.

My grandfather grew kale. It was not a late harvest unless you call
the middle of summer late and I thought it was bitter tasting.

There are other reasons kale can become bitter, improperly watered, and
compacted soil are two common conditions. And perhaps you just don't
like strongly flavored greens, most folks don't.... but strong flavored
does not necessarily mean bitter/astringent. You probably never
acquired a taste for strongly flavored greens. Now chicory is bitter,
radish is bitter, broccoli rabe is bitter, mustard greens are bitter,
but unless improperly grown kale is not bitter. And very often people
grow the wrong type of kale for table, there are also kale types grown
as ornamentals... some are palatable when young but at some point will
start to develop a distinct bitterness. Btw, an aversion to bitterness
is a natural survival tool, most poisonous plants are bitter tasting.

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

There are other reasons kale can become bitter, improperly watered,

This was 40+ years ago in Michigan. He had a HUGE garden and no
automatic watering system. He watered with a hose and he spent many
hours in the garden daily.

Quoted message said:

and compacted soil are two common conditions.

Definitely, NOT the problem. He used a rototiller in the Spring and
used a hand held hoe daily.

Quoted message said:

And perhaps you just don't
like strongly flavored greens, most folks don't.... but strong flavored
does not necessarily mean bitter/astringent. You probably never
acquired a taste for strongly flavored greens.

That's a more likely scenario.

Quoted message said:

Now chicory is bitter,
radish is bitter, broccoli rabe is bitter, mustard greens are bitter,
but unless improperly grown kale is not bitter.

I don't eat chicory but I've experienced it in coffee and wasn't
averted and I like broccoli rabe. I've never tried mustard greens as
food a food source although I understand that "spring" mustard greens
are salad material. Kale (and chard too) just aren't to my liking.

Quoted message said:

And very often people
grow the wrong type of kale for table, there are also kale types grown
as ornamentals... some are palatable when young but at some point will
start to develop a distinct bitterness. Btw, an aversion to bitterness
is a natural survival tool, most poisonous plants are bitter tasting.

Well, that's comforting.

--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

sf said:

I don't eat chicory but I've experienced it in coffee and wasn't averted

The chicory used in coffee is the root, roasted and ground. You'll
find chicory greens in the produce section near the leaf lettuces. I
like chicory greens in salads, endive too. Not a lot of people like
the bitter greens, but that's okay, the lower demand keeps the cost
down, so more for me. 😉

I also like the bittter salad greens cut into a chiffonade and wilted
in clarified chicken stock, makes a nice soup... add a little diakon,
some mushrooms, sliced green onion, and a sliced egg.

Sheldon

sf said:

NOW I know why I don't like kale (it always tastes bitter to me)
http://tinyurl.com/8owt2

I don't like bitter, either, but I love kale. Great texture. I just
discovered the existence of Caldo Verde, a Portuguese soup made from
potatoes and kale or green cabbage. Not sure whether both cabbages are
"allowed", but I'll try it with kale.

Quoted message said:

I'm talking with Caba (who lives in northern Germany) in rfc chat
right now and she says kale needs the snow to break the bitterness.

That is commonly said about kale, here, too (in The Netherlands).
However, I recently read in a paper that science has debunked that.

Quoted message said:

Here's the url for those (I know who you are) who need it. LOL
http://www.penguinpowered.ca/~vexorg/pjirc/rec.food.cooking.html

If the kale leaves seems thick and rubbery when you buy them,
watch out. They will need to be simmered a long while before
they're edible and they may also be bitter. It's traditional
to include an acid component, including tomatos and possibly
vinegar, to counter the alkaline bitterness. Simmer them
long enough with something acidic and some seasonings and
they should turn out all right. Served this way, we call
them a "mess 'o greens". You can use less difficult greens
such as chard or mustard, but kale is more nutritious than most.

Steve