How to Make Easy, Delicious Kale Chips

This week, like any other, has been busy. I’ve been quieter than usual on social media, continuing my reflection on how I can help make a difference in these difficult times and focusing on tackling work in the hoop house, which is now beginning to overflow with vegetables. The plants are loving the space, and the bounty is growing rapidly as we have warmer days and warmer nights here in the mountains. It feels good to have so much food available for our family, but with all the abundance we had to start getting creative with how to store all of our harvest.

From the beginning of our farm, Jack and I’s goal was to grow as much of our own food for the year as possible, and, with the hoop house starting to take off, it is quickly becoming a reality. That also means that I am quickly learning how to can, dehydrate, and preserve our food so we can limit what we purchase at the grocery store and so our harvest doesn’t spoil before we can eat it. With the abundance, we have also swiftly realized that we desperately need a walk-in cooler so we can process our harvests in a little less panic than we do now. Luckily, we found a great A/C device that helps turn a small shed or room into a “walk-in” cooler, and we are looking forward to adding one of these to the farm.

But, because we have limited refrigerator space at the moment, I had to frantically decide what I was going to do with my harvest this week, which included over 15 lbs of kale. I had 3 HUGE bags, and, because it was so much, Jack and I thought it’d be a good idea to use our new pressure canner to store some for winter…

THAT was a MAJOR fail. Once the story becomes funny, I’ll write about the incident and the aftermath, but, if I’m being honest, I’m still feeling a bit bitter about it all. I can’t even look at the pressure canner the same way…

So. After the disaster with the canner, I still had about 1 lb of kale left. I did what I probably should have done in the first place and made kale chips. SUPER EASY. EXPLOSION FREE. And they were so delicious. Since it’s peak season for fresh greens like kale at the farmers’ market and grocery store, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share a great way to preserve kale, a great health snack that even kids (at least my kiddo) love.

Part of my large kale harvest this week!

Here’s what you need to make the chips:

1-2 bunches of kale, rinsed and dried well. Remove the stems and roughly chop the leaves.

1-2 tablespoons oil of choice (I used avocado, but you could use olive oil, vegetable oil, ect.)

Spices of choice (I used a mix of turmeric, harissa chile powder, cinnamon, chile powder, and a pinch of sugar. You can get creative and have fun with this and don’t have to worry about being exact with measurements.)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Dehydrator with trays or oven with baking sheet(s) lined with parchment

Directions:

1.      In a large bowl, drizzle the prepared kale with your oil of choice. The amount of oil you use will depend on you quantity of kale. 1 tablespoon of oil/bunch of kale should do the trick.

2. Sprinkle on your spices. I tend to go heavier with mild spices like garlic powder or turmeric (using about ½-1 tsp each) and much lighter with spicy ones (just a pinch to start with).

3.      Liberally season with salt (½-1 tsp) and a little bit of pepper, tasting as you go. I have noticed that the spices seem to get more concentrated during the dehydration or cooking process, so you might need less than you think. You can always add salt at the end of the process for added flavor if need be.

4.      Spread the kale evenly on dehydrator trays or a baking sheet. You want there to be space between the leaves for even baking, so use as many trays or baking sheets as necessary.

5.      If using a dehydrator, set the temperature to 160°F. Dehydrate for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until completely dry and crispy. If using an oven, preheat to 225°F and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove the kale and toss gently, and, if desired, return kale to oven and bake to desired crispiness. Watch chips closely to prevent burning!

6.      Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container for 1-2 days. Best eaten fresh!

Thanks for following along, and I hope you enjoy the recipe! As always, let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll see you next week!

Farmer Kinzie