[strangerachael]

I am planning to freeze kale and leaf-beet, and wondered what people's various methods are. [/li][/list]
-Do any of you blanch in the microwave? What is the process?
-Do any of you not bother blanching and just freeze from fresh? If so how does this turn out?
-I was interested to read on the preserving pages on here that kale is not suitable for freezing - but you can buy bags of frozen kale in the supermarket?

[Yorkie]

I've never blanched in the microwave - if I blanch, it's boiling water and a metal sieve to put the veg into it and remove after a few minutes.

Where I'm going to eat the veg fairly soon, then I might not bother blanching.  But longer than a couple of months, then I do plan to blanch.

Freezing is always on open trays, before putting into bags, to avoid clumping during freezing.

I have frozen kale; it was rather brittle and not the best after cooking, but better than losing it completely was my thought process.  Perhaps commercial freezers do it much more quickly and thus effectively?

[New shoot]

I have never frozen kale.  We sell bags of it at work, but it will have been blast frozen so not something easy to replicate at home.

Leef beet I take off the stems, pile in a colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over it.  Use a spoon and fork to turn over after a minute or so.  The residual heat will wilt the rest.  Once cool, squeeze out excess water and chop.  I make small heaps of it on a baking sheet, freeze for a couple of hours then bag up.  It comes out looking like the bags of frozen spinach you can buy, but with tons more flavour