If you follow my Facebook page, then you know how excited I was about receiving a monster head of kale from the organic fruit and veggie shop SG Organic!
The first thing I did was to whip up a batch of kale chips, and then immediately devour them! Even with that, I still had tons of kale left, and I definitely didn’t want it to go off. So here’s a quick tip for how to freeze your greens to prevent them from going bad. And to use it in a fun way, I have an awesome green smoothie recipe for you at the end…
How to freeze leafy greens
In a blender, blend up your greens. You can add water to help it along. Once it’s all blended up, pour it into a muffin tray and let it sit in the freezer until fully frozen.
Once they’re frozen, pop them out of the muffin tray and store them in a container. Label it! This is so important – don’t skip this step. At some time, we have all found a mysterious block of frozen food in our freezer – food that was once lovingly prepared, but since forgotten. Mystery frozen blocks are never appetising. Label it, date it, and draw a little happy face on it, so that you remember just how excited you were about eating it!
A muffin cup measures out to about 1/2 cup of veg each – so I can add this to a soup, pasta sauce or stew and it will just melt right in, getting extra greens in our diet! Here’s an another way to use your saved vegetables and one of my favorite recipes for yummy Green Smoothies. I love green smoothies because one drink packs in so much fruit and veg – it’s a great boost of nutrients and I definitely feel more energy when I drink one!
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'Purple' Green Smoothie Recipe
I have found that the key to a yummy smoothie is having at least one ingredient frozen. It makes it creamier and smoother.
I’ve added in a few extra super foods: coconut oil and chia seeds. I only add the chia seeds in after I’ve blended up the smoothie because I want the seeds whole. As they pass through your body they clean out your intestines helping to detoxify your system!
They also help to regulate your blood sugar, so that you don’t have spikes and crashes throughout the day.
- 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup frozen kale
- 1/2 cup water – or until you get a good consistency
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil ((optional))
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds ((optional))
- In a blender, combine all the fruit and veg
- Add in water
- Add in coconut oil and blend everything up
- Pour the smoothie into a glass and add in the chia seed gel
- Enjoy!
I pre-make a jar of chia seed gel by mixing 1 part chia seeds to 3 parts water. You can store it in the fridge and scoop it into drinks and smoothies.
[ribbon title=”Singapore Shopping Guide”]
- Chia seeds: Where to buy chia seeds in Singapore
- Virgin coconut oil: Where to buy coconut oil in Singapore
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14 responses to “How to Freeze Leafy Greens & Green Smoothie Recipe”
Hi Militza, may I know where you buy your Kale? The kale I usually see in supermarkets are the Chinese variety which I don’t really like to use in my smoothies.
Hi Vivi! I get it from either Zenxin Farm – usually found in Giant or Cold Storage (they also deliver on-line). Or, just recently I discovered SGorganic.sg that sell a giant head of organic Scottish kale! They deliver and have a stall at Pasar Bella.
Thanks! I’ve never seen one in Cold Storage (rarely go to Giant). The ones I see are the prepacked baby kale leaves for salads. I’ll check out the sites. Thanks again! 🙂
Hi, does the smell go funny after freezing? and is there less nutrients than fresh?
Thanks
Hi Cathy! Freezing is a great way to retain the nutrients. I haven’t had issues with smell – this works out really well for me – give it a go and let us know how it works for you! 🙂
hi, how long can the chia seed gel keep for in the fridge?
Hi Pam – you’re good for 5 days to a week, but to be safe – I usually make enough to last 4-5 days.
I bought some organic kale and had no idea how I was going to eat it all until I came across this article. It worked out perfectly and I can’t even taste it in my smoothies. Thanks so much for the great idea!
Hi Andrea!
How awesome, so glad that you found a little inspiration here!
Great idea! How long can the frozen kale be stored in the freezer?
Hi Laura – it will be good for at least 3 months – but if you make your shakes daily – you’ll work your way through a big batch before then 🙂
Hello! Do you ever mix the kale with something else like spinach or celery? I hate the taste of celery but am trying to get more in my diet. Would that change how long it keeps in the freezer at all?
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Hi Militza,
That green smoothie recipe looks delicious AND healthy! That’s quite an achievement to pull off!
Keep up the excellent work. We all love you 🙂
Take care and stay safe
Jane xxx