Can you eat kohlrabi greens?
Written by
Julia Anderson
Reviewed by
Prof. Martin Thorne, Ph.D.Kohlrabi leaves give a nutrient power boost that gets overlooked by many gardeners. I've thrown young leaves into lunch salads directly from the garden, which catches people who are tasting kohlrabi for the first time off guard with its mild, spinach-like flavor. As the leaves mature, they develop a more robust textural quality that works great in sautéed dishes with garlic. Ensure that you always leave 4-5 leaves on each plant whenever harvesting to keep the plant growing.
Nutrition Profile
- Rich in vitamin C (87% DV per cup)
- Higher calcium content than bulbs
- Contains cancer-fighting glucosinolates
Cooking Methods
- Raw: Chop into coleslaw mixes
- Blanched: Dip in boiling water for 60 seconds
- Braised: Cook with broth 15-20 minutes
When the leaves grow to 6-8 inches long you can harvest them. Use scissors to cut the outermost leaves first, thereby allowing the inner leaves to grow out. Each week, I take 2-3 leaves per plant, which gives me a never-ending supply of leafy greens while maintaining the health of the bulb. The leaves can be stored in the refrigerator unwashed in the drawers for 5-7 days.
Refrigeration
- Wrap in damp paper towels
- Use within 3 days for peak crispness
- Avoid plastic bags causing condensation
Freezing
- Blanch 90 seconds before freezing
- Portion into ice cube trays with olive oil
- Lasts 8-10 months frozen
Convert your rough stems into culinary gold. If you chop up those fibrous stalks into 1-inch pieces for pickling then my ginger-turmeric brine recipe will do all the work of softening them. Young stems can provide a crunchy element to vegetable summer rolls. Please never waste anything that comes from your garden, everything is a flavor and ingredient in itself if not simply to tell a story.
Read the full article: How to Grow Kohlrabi: Complete Beginner's Guide
