Can you eat Kale raw?

[mame]

I am making Emilycat's wonderful Kale, whitebean, and roasted veggie soup (along with the flax) that she posted this week (which is making the whole apartment smell wonderful). Anyway, I have a bunch of kale leftover. I tried a little (this is another new veggie for us) and said "hmm, this good, I think I will take this for lunch with a lemon to squeeze over as a salad." But then got to thinking--maybe it is not good for you raw?

[SoCal]

I'm sure someone can answer much better than I but here is what I found in Epicurious. I'd be interested to know why it should only be used in small amounts in salads. I've never had kale but do plan on making the soup Emilycat posted soon.

This attractive, nonheading member of the cabbage family has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. Though it grows in warm climates, it's happiest in colder climes where for centuries its high vitamin content has made it particularly popular with northern Europeans. Kale has a mild, cabbagey flavor and comes in many varieties and colors. Most kale is easily identified by its frilly leaves arranged in a loose bouquet formation. The color of the leaves of the varieties most commonly available in the United States is deep green variously tinged with shades of blue or purple. There are ornamental varieties in gorgeous shades of lavender, purple and celadon green. Kale's best during the winter months, though it's available year-round in most parts of the country. Choose richly colored, relatively small bunches of kale, avoiding any with limp or yellowing leaves. Store in the coldest section of the refrigerator no longer than 2 or 3 days. After that, the flavor of kale becomes quite strong and the leaves limp. Because the center stalk is tough, it should be removed before the kale is used. Kale may be prepared in any way suitable for spinach and small amounts make a nice addition to salads. Kale, a CRUCIFEROUS vegetable, provides ample amounts of vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium and iron. See also FLOWERING KALE.

[Varaile]

I just look Kale up in my Dr. Richter's Fresh Produce Guide and it said nearly the same thing but no explanation! :mad:

"Blah, blah, blah,...Kale may be prepared the same way as spinach. Small amounts make a nice addition to green salads."

Go figure. :rolleyes:

[mame]

Thanks. I imagine the reason they say a "small" amount is probably because it has a stronger, "greener" flavor--probably quite a shock if you are used to iceberg salads. But I liked it a lot. The soup is a definite winner. I think it would also be good steamed like spinach with lemon as a side dish.

[Chris415]

I've cooked kale many times. Sometimes while I'm cleaning and taking it off the stems, I've munched on it, and I find it bitter and I'm not crazy about the texture. I'm never seen a recipe where it calls for it raw, so I'm not sure if eating a bowlful raw is bad for you.

Chris

[emilycat]

I highly doubt that eating it raw would be bad for you -- I agree with mame; it's most likely that the reason it's suggested to be used in small amounts is because the taste is a bit much for most people. It's kind of like using radicchio -- you wouldn't want to make a whole salad out of it, but it's lovely as an addition.

[aggie94]

My vet told me in the past that I should feed only small quantities, if any, of raw spinach and kale to my rabbit. Apparently, they are high in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time. I can see why it would be a risk for a small animal, like a rabbit or guinea pig or hamster, but I doubt that you would be eating so much kale as to be concerned.

[mame]

Well I had a about 1 and 1/2 cups for lunch today, mixed it with my leftover kisir from the weekend. I thought it was very good. Nice alternative to spinach, which I have a lot of. Definetely a cut above mustard greens, which I would never eat raw. No ill effects. :) Now I get to have more of that wonderful soup with it for dinner. No calcium worries today!

[Wendy w]

I buy it for my bird on occasion-who loves it! Since I can only give him so much, I eat it too but have never been able to bring myself to try it raw so I usually add it to soups.

[beejayw1]

I used to have kale served to me when I went to first grade in Charleston, SC. I gather it was not done well - they used old, stale stuff and boiled it to within an inch of its life - but the damage was done.

Kale is a wonderful thing, and I highly recommend using it instead of foam packing peanuts. :D

By the same token, if the sole of your shoe is getting thin, inserting a nice, mature kale leaf will serve to reinforce it, and add months of life to the shoe's sole.

[Anne]

Kale that has been picked past its prime and then left to sit out awhile would make great shoe leather. However, freshly picked from the garden it is a different kritter altogether. I am sure the 'in small amounts' reflects its rather assertive flavor. I checked with my doctor about healthy food when I was pregnant and she indicated that it was an excelent source of a lot of nutrients (specifically one that can help prevent spinal cord defects) and a salad a day was no problem. We eat salads of kale, collards, chard, and whatever other greens we have in the garden. I suspect that it is an aquired taste to some extent, we have done straight kale salad and love it, but then, IMHO iceberg lettuce is not suitable for salads. Kale also works well as an addition to cabbage slaw.