I’ll keep this short because there is a lot of information to get through in this blog. Some of the most common questions I get asked while working for BlueMoon Farm at Urbana’s Market at the Square include “what is the difference between kale and chard?” Or, “which kale is better for __________ ?” Or even, “how do I cook collards?” So, in keeping with the spirit of spreading knowledge about specialty crops and buying locally, I’m going to try and give a quick rundown of kale, collards, and chard. This will by no means be a definitive resource, but I hope it helps a little bit. First, a quick general factoid…all of these greens are called “bunching greens” because you typically buy them in bunches. Now, on to the fun stuff.

KALE

Did you know…

One may differentiate between kale varieties according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, along with the variety of leaf types. When shopping for Kale, however, you’ll want to know how to identify the varieties by their leaves since you can’t see the plants. The leaf colors range from light green to green, to dark green and violet-green, to violet-brown. Some leaves also are more of a blue-green and range from dark to pale across varieties. There are curly-leaf, bumpy-leaf, plain-leaf, and feathery-leaf kales that you’ll come across at the store or market and they all have slightly different flavors and textures. There are also ornamental kales that are less palatable and have much tougher leaves.

Kale is a close relative of collards and grows well in colder temperatures and can withstand frost — which helps it produce sweeter leaves. It is generally available year-round but is most flavorful and abundant in the early summer (before it gets too hot) and the late fall and early winter.

Nutritional Information

Raw kale provides a large amount of vitamin K and is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese. Kale is also a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, vitamin E and several dietary minerals, including iron, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. Boiling kale diminishes most of these nutrients, while values for vitamins A, C, and K, and manganese remain substantial. Other cooking methods retain more nutrients.

Buying & Storing

Look for bunches of kale with nice color and not too many yellows spots. Damage to the leaves can be easily removed. Wilting kale leaves have either been in the sun for a while or are old. Wrap kale in a damp towel or in a plastic bag and refrigerate, preferably in a crisper drawer, for up to 1 week. Leaves will wilt if allowed to dry out so replace the damp paper towel as needed. For long-term storage, kale can be frozen. Wash, de-stem, and drop the leaves in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the water and rinse under cold water or put in an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain the kale and pack into airtight containers or freezer bags.

Preparation

Wash kale leaves well, checking the underside of each leaf for soil and garden pests. You can dunk them in a sink filled with cold water several times, using your hands to swish them around and push them under. Refill the sink and repeat as necessary. Remove stems (midrib) from mature kale leaves by folding the leaf in half lengthwise and stripping/ripping or slicing away the thick center spine of the each leaf. Baby or very tender young leaves may be eaten or cooked with the stem attached, just like with spinach.

Cooking

Raw: use raw kale (baby or otherwise) for salads, slice it into ribbons and add it to slaws, or season it and use it as a taco topping. Chop or slice raw kale and add it to hearty soups and stews towards the end of cooking time.

Steaming: remove the stems and place kale leaves in a pot with a steamer basket above an inch or so of boiling water. Steam mature kale leaves for approximately 4-5 minutes, depending on age, size, and amount in the steamer. It is ready when it is a vibrant green and limp, but still retaining some texture.

Sautéing: remove the stems, cut the leaves into thick ribbons, and sauté in a skillet or sauté pan with butter, garlic, and onions until the kale has just started to go limp. Remove it from the heat immediately so you don’t overcook it. You can also sauté baby kale, but it will cook very quickly so be careful.

Microwaving: remove the stems, place them in a quart baking dish with the water that clings to them from rinsing, cover, and cook on high until tender, approximately 6-9 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

Note: Some greens don’t steam well due to an acid they release when coming in contact with heat which is why boiling is oftentimes used instead. Steaming greens with this acid can cause them to turn gray as the acid breaks down the chlorophyll. I have never had this experience with chard, but if you have, then follow the boiling directions in the “Preparation” section for blanching.

CHARD

Did you know…

Chard can reach up to 28 inches in height and will produce stems that are white, yellow, orange, or crimson in color. It also has quite a few commonly used names which can become confusing. You’ll see it referred to as chard, swiss chard, silverbeet, perpetual spinach, beet spinach, seakale beet, or leaf beet. Chard is actually closely related to beets but was chosen for leaf formation as opposed to root storage formation. Chard has a bitter taste when raw because of an acid known as oxalic acid, though it is still used raw frequently. When cooked, chard’s bitter taste and vibrant color tend to diminish.

Nutritional Information

Chard is rich in vitamins A, K, and C, and is an excellent source of vitamin E and dietary minerals, magnesium, manganese, iron, and potassium. When chard is boiled, vitamin and mineral contents are reduced compared to raw chard, but not to a significant degree.

Buying & Storing

Look for bunches of chard with vibrant colors and not too many yellows spots. Damage to the leaves can be easily removed. Avoid wilting or limp chard, especially if buying it at a grocery store. Wrap chard in a damp towel or in a plastic bag and refrigerate, preferably in a crisper drawer. Chard is best used fresh but will last for 4-5 days if stored properly. Leaves will wilt if allowed to dry out so replace the damp paper towel as needed.

For long-term storage, chard can be frozen. Wash, de-stem if you wish (not require), cut leaves into thick ribbons, and drop the pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water and rinse under cold water or put in an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain the chard and pack into airtight containers or freezer bags.

Preparation

Wash the leaves the same way you would kale. Dunk them in a sink filled with cold water several times, using your hands to swish them around and push them under. Check the underside of each leaf for soil and garden pests. Refill the sink and repeat as necessary. If leaves are large and mature, you may want to remove the stems (midrib) and cook separately though this is not required as chard stems tend to be more tender than kale stems. Young tender leaves can be cooked whole.

Cooking

Raw: chop or ribbon chard for salads, stir-fries, egg dishes (omelets, quiches, frittatas, etc.), or add to soups or stews. For soups, add chard stem chunks 10 minutes and leaves 4-5 minutes before the soup is done.

Steaming: remove the stems and cut the leaves into large ribbons and the stems into 1-inch chunks. In separate batches, place the stems and leaves into a pot with a steamer basket over an inch of water, cover, and cook. Steam the stems for 6-9 minutes and the leaves for 3-5 minutes. Toss steamed chard leaves with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Or, for more of an Asian flavor, toss with toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

Grilling: take whole leaves and drizzle or brush them with oil (sesame or olive works well), sprinkle with desired seasoning, place on the edge of a hot grill, cover, and cook for 2-5 minutes. If using charcoal or wood, be careful not to put the leaves directly over the fire as the oil will cause any flames to jump and scotch the leaves. Chop and use for a salad or serve as a side dish.

Sautéing: cut the leaves into thick ribbons, and sauté in a skillet or sauté pan with oil, salt, and pepper (or whatever seasoning you desire) until the chard has just started to go limp. Remove it from the heat immediately so you don’t overcook it.

Microwaving: remove the stems, place them in a quart baking dish with the water that clings to them from rinsing, cover, and cook on high until tender, approximately 5-8 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

COLLARDS

Did you know…

Collards are also called collard greens and are popular around the world, especially in parts of Europe, the U.S., East Africa, Brazil, Portugal, Zimbabwe, and the Kashmir Valley. Collards grow well in both warm and cold temperatures and are relatively frost hardy. They are also known as “tree-cabbage” and “non-heading cabbage” because they are closely related to cabbage but never form a central head. Rather, they grow upward with leaves growing from a central stalk similarly to kale.

Nutritional Information

Like kale, collard greens contain substantial amounts of vitamin K and are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese. They are also a good source of calcium and vitamin B6. As with all greens, boiling will dimish the nutritional value of collards, especially because they tend to require the most cook time. If boiling collards, save the liquid for soup or later use if you aren’t working it back into the dish.

Buying & Storing

Look for collards that aren’t too big with nice blue-green color and soft, leathery leaves. Holes and other bug damage to the leaves can be easily removed. Wrap unwashed collards in a damp towel or in a plastic bag and refrigerate, preferably in a crisper drawer. Collards are best used fresh but will last for up to a week if stored properly.

For long-term storage, collards can be frozen. Wash, remove the stem below the leaf, cut leaves into thick ribbons, and drop the pieces in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the water and rinse under cold water or put in an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain the collards and pack into airtight containers or freezer bags.

Preparation

Wash the leaves the same way you would kale and chard. Dunk them in a sink filled with cold water several times, using your hands to swish them around and push them under. Check the underside of each leaf for soil and garden pests. Refill the sink and repeat as necessary. Because the leaves of collards require such long cook times, you don’t have to remove the center stem from the leaf, but you should remove any remaining stem from below the leaf.

Cooking

Raw: collards are not typically eaten raw, but you can add them to egg dishes (omelets, quiches, frittatas, etc.), casseroles, lasagnas, and soups. They will just need to be cooked in each manner long enough to soften. You may have to pre-cook them.

Steaming: remove the lower stems and leaves in a pot with a steamer basket above an inch or so of boiling salted water. Steam mature leaves for approximately 7-10 minutes, depending on age, size, and amount in the steamer. Collards are ready when they are vibrant green and soft but not mushy. You want them to retain some texture.

Sautéing: cut the leaves into thick ribbons, and sauté in a skillet or sauté pan with pork fat, salt, and pepper (or whatever seasoning you desire) until the collards have just started to go limp. Be careful not to overcook collards. Overcooked greens will be mushy, tasteless, and significantly reduced in nutrition.

Microwaving: remove the lower stems, cut the leaves into ribbons, place the leaves in a quart baking dish with the water that clings to them from rinsing, cover, and cook on high until tender, approximately 7-10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.