Kale taste tests

[realfood]

Harvesting two different types of kale together reminded me that different types can taste quite different.
Dwarf green curled. A fairly mild taste with mild pepper.
Ragged Jack. A more robust flavour with strong pepper.

[realfood]

[kt.]

I have never grown or tasted kale in my life.  Still uuming and aarring about wether to try it. 

[elvis2003]

oohh its lovely KT,well worth trying,Ive got loads of seeds if youd like some

[pumkinlover]

I've grown asparagus kale from HSL this year but it has been badly affected by the cold and snow so not sure if will get to taste  it :-\

[Debs]

Hi KT,
I am growing kale for first time this year so quite excited to see results - you can have some of my seed if you want to try

Debs

[Tulipa]

KT, if you steam kale for a couple of minutes, meanwhile lightly cook some garlic in sunflower oil and add drained kale and stir for a couple of minutes you get the best tasting kale, all my family eat it and love it whilst they are not keen on other greens and kick up a fuss so your two might enjoy it :)  I pick it all winter too so very useful.  The only problem I have is white fly which gets through my debris netting, will use fleece this year.

Hope you enjoy it :)

[grannyjanny]

Add some bacon & onion to the garlic mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I take the stalks out as they cook slower than the leaves but you can use both. I think I saw this on Saturday Kitchen ages ago. OH loves it this way.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've never grown it, but I think I'm being influenced by my father's snobbery towards it; it was cattle food as far as he was concerned. I'm definitely growing it this year; I got some Spis Bladene from the HSL, and I'm looking forward to trying it.

[goodlife]

I planted 5 different sort of kale last summer..they have all come through winter..every single plant..but some look better than others.
Pentland Brig looks best after the heavy snow fall and I've been getting really good crop out of the already , Red Russian looks second best but it won't start yielding properly untill new growing weather start.
Then I've got 3 different 'frilly' types; blue curled, Scarlet and Green curled afro.
All are alive but didn't like much the snow...roll on spring and I've got kale coming out of my 'ear holes' ::) ;D
Kale and smoke salmon omelet :P..YUM!

[goodlife]

Oh and taste wise..well I have to admit I've never really tasted so I can compare their differences..or similarities.
If the weather doesn't throw too many 'cats and dogs' tomorrow, I shall venture outside, pick few leaves of each type, cook and taste them ;D Fully detailed report to follow soon.... ;D

[Vinlander]

Perhaps someone can confirm this - I find that boiled Cavalo Nero kale has a background hint of butter.

I never put butter on any veg I actually like (I do put it in mashed spud), but I find the hint of it in CN is really interesting and nice.

I also prefer the 'main' taste of CN to any other kale I've ever tried.

Cheers.

[1066]

Hi I realise this thread is about taste tests of different Kale (so far I prefer the Cavalo Nero) but was wondering how do people deal with the curly kales and white fly? I chucked a fair bit of my curly kale away  :-[  because it was totally covered. I probably need to net them better that I did, but white fly do seem to manage to get in no matter what! And yes I am happy washing them off, but it is a pain!

I'm trying Vate's Blue Curled this year (from HSL)

1066  :)

[goodlife]

White fly ???...what white fly? ;)...well once they have had 'spot' of steam or boiling water there is none to be seen and certainly nothing to be found between teeth ;D As for netting any kale..ohh big job or they should be grown in insect proof cage.
If it is just white fly I'm not bothered trying wash them off..life is too short..
and any leaf that looks otherwise unsightly I'll give to chickens or it goes to compost. ;D
I do eat kale straight from the plant too when I'm on lottie...  :-X

[goodlife]

Right then...taste test is done..but I didn't manage with all of mine, 1 kale variety was still bit undersize so left it.
[attachment=1]
Blue curled raw taste; dry, flavoursome, mild, little bitter Cooked; good texture, sweet, pleasant cabbagey flavour.
Red Russian raw; sweet, mild, nice gentle flavour Cooked; Soft texture, soft&sweet but strong flavour, no bitterness
Pentland Brig raw; moist and lush mouth feel, little peppery Cooked; Soft texture, sweet flavour
Scarlet raw; dry and tough texture but mild flavour Cooked; little course texture, sweet, touch of bitterness, robust flavour with brussels like after taste.
I prefered the Russian and Pentland..OH curly types ::) Curly types will definately go better with other strong flavours like bacon..and the soft and sweet kale in things like omelettes or in salads..BTW...Red Russian is often in winter salad seed mixtures ;)
All less frilly sort of kales had much less whitefly on them than others!!!

[goodlife]

Forgot...I cooked the kale with little water in pan and once wilted I seasoned with salt and pepper and touch of butter..for the taste test.

[1066]

thanks Goodlife, think I might add Red Russian to my winter grow list 2011  ;) (with some whitefly on the side  ;) )

[gwynleg]

This is really helpful, thanks! I grew Kale in my first year, found it really bitter, didnt like it and havent tried again. I think I will have to give it another go!

[goodlife]

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found it really bitter, didnt like it I think time of the year when picking makes difference to the flavour as well. I only eat kale during winter and spring and I only eat the younger/smaller leaves as those are most tastiest for me.

[realfood]

I had hoped to do a taste test on Jagallo Nero, but there are no leaves to eat as the Winter seems to have been too hard for them.
Jagallo Nero is supposed to be  a jagged leaved form of cavalo nero, but it is quite clearly not hardy, even though it was grown in the same way as my other kales. There are just some stumps left which I will leave to see if I can get some Spring greens.

[realfood]

My Vates Blue curled seed arrived today, so will look forward to eat it next Winter.