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Kale Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to kale products
About kale
Kale is one of the hottest vegetables on the planet right now, a leafy type of cabbage cultivar prized for its incredible health benefits. Discover what all the hype is about when you choose kale from Instacart. Shop online or via the Instacart app and get kale at your doorstep in as little as 2Â hours!
It might be the flavor of the month, but kale is not new. Farmers in Asia Minor and the Mediterranean grew this leafy vegetable for food as early as 2000 BC. Russian traders brought Russian kale, one of many kale varieties, to North America in the 19th century. For most of the 20th century, Americans used kale for decoration. However, in the 1990s, Americans began discovering its nutritional credentials and bold taste.
Kale is rich in the following elements:
- Fiber for digestive health and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Antioxidants to remove unwanted toxins from the body.
- Calcium for healthy teeth and bones.
- Vitamin C for immune health.
- Vitamin K for heart, bone, and brain health.
- Beta-carotene for clear skin and healthy hair.
- Goitrin for healthy thyroid function.
Kale is a versatile vegetable that you can eat raw or cooked in various ways, including steaming, boiling, baking, and sauteing. Try kale in the following dishes:
- Raw scattered through a salad.
- Sliced raw with other vegetables, meat, and cheese in a sandwich or wrap.
- Stirred through a soup or stew.
- Sauteed in olive oil with garlic and onions for a healthy side dish.
- Tossed in olive oil, seasoned with spices, and baked as chips.
- Blended in a fruit or vegetable smoothie.
How to pick out kale
There are so many different varieties of kale, all with different colors and leaves, that picking kale can be difficult. The leaves of varieties made for eating can be various shades of green or purple. Those leaves may be smooth, curly, or bumpy and have a variety of shapes. Kale should have crisp, unblemished leaves. Kale gets more bitter as it grows, so if you prefer your kale a little sweeter and more delicate, choose kale with small leaves. Also, look for varieties known for their sweetness, such as lacinato kale.
Unless you want to make decorative bouquets, choose green or purple kale rather than ornamental kale. Available in a range of colors, including white, pink, blue, and red, ornamental kale are beautiful. However, while their leaves are technically edible, they are tougher and less tasty than the varieties made for eating.
If you're nervous about picking your own kale, trust the experts at Instacart. They choose only the best kale for customers, taking the guesswork out of shopping for this popular vegetable.
How to store kale
When your kale arrives via Instacart, wrap it in damp paper towels. Then store it in a plastic bag in your refrigerator's crisper. Kale develops a stronger flavor the longer it's stored, so try to use it within a few days of receiving it.
If you can't use all your kale that quickly, you can freeze it. Blanch your kale first, or it may become bitter. Put it in a bowl of ice water after blanching to halt the cooking process. Leave it for a few minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture. Place portion sizes on a baking tray in your freezer. Once they're frozen, store each portion in a freezer bag. Your kale will keep in the freezer for eight to 12 months.
Kale Near Me
Buy your favorite Kale online with Instacart. Order Curly Kale, Lacinato Kale, Other Kale, and more from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about kale
Several varieties of kale are available in the United States. Curly kale is the most common, with its ruffled leaves. If its earthy flavor is a little too intense for you, try lacinato kale, sometimes called dinosaur kale. It is less bitter than curly kale. Its long flat leaves keep their texture after cooking, so they're the perfect choice for kale chips. Red Russian kale is another common variety found in the United States. Its leaves are sweet and delicate, with a lemon-pepper taste similar to sorrel. However, some people don't like its fibrous stalks.
Organic kale is grown without the use of pesticides. Growers use pesticides to keep insects and other pests away from standard kale. Pesticide residue may remain on standard kale, so many people prefer organic kale. They also insist organic kale tastes better. Organic kale is more expensive than standard kale, so consider your budget and health concerns carefully to make the right decision for your household.
Cooking can reduce the nutritional benefits of kale. Some vitamins and minerals escape during the cooking process, including goitrin, which is only present in raw kale. However, cooked kale is still very nutritious. Steaming is the best cooking method for maximizing kale's nutritional benefits.