Can You Get Sick From Eating Expired Kale?
Eating expired kale may not necessarily make you sick, but it can cause food poisoning symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Kale, like most greens, deteriorates quickly after it’s been cut and starts to lose its texture, flavor, and nutritional value, and can harbor bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.
Known as a foodborne illness, food poisoning can result in a number of symptoms, the most common being stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and appetite loss. Kale is high in nutrients like vitamins A, C, K, iron, calcium, fiber, folate, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, sodium, zinc, and vitamins B6 and E. It is also known as the king of vegetables as it contains more antioxidants than any other vegetable. It contains calcium, vitamin A, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, folate, fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.
| Types | Shelf Life |
| Properly canned cabbage | 1 year |
| Fresh, unwashed cabbage | 1 week |
| Bagged kale | 5-7 days |
Kale is a member of the cabbage family, and it is high in vitamin K, calcium, iron, fiber, beta carotene, folate, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, thiamine, zinc, copper, and vitamins A, B6, C, D, E, and pantothenic acid. Kale is a good source of antioxidants, especially beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, alpha-lipoic acid, and phytosterols. It is also used to treat a variety of diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, arthritis, and other health problems. Kale is praised for its abundant amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K, and a variety of beneficial phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Kale is loaded with insoluble fiber and a carbohydrate called raffinose, which cannot be broken down in digestion, explained Linda Anne Lee, MD, Director of Johns Hopkins Center for Integrative Medicine and Digestion. Raw cabbage, in particular, can be difficult for the digestive system, meaning that it can lead to bloating, gas, and other stomach problems, and also contains a compound that may inhibit thyroid function in some people, she adds. If you are eating – or juiceing – lots of raw cruciferous vegetables, be they bok choy, cabbage, or cauliflower, you might want to limit that. I have a low thyroid, and I eat lots of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables — just cooked.
You can wait to wash kale until you are ready to eat it, but if you would like to wash and store the greens at one time in order to save time prepping meals all week, make sure you thoroughly dry your kale before returning it to the fridge. First, tear off and chop off any needed parts of kale, then put it into a big pan of boiling water for one or two minutes. To make sure that the leaves do not spoil, you can either thoroughly wash them or chop the stalks. Be sure to carefully follow your canners directions in order to make sure that your preserved cabbage is safe.
Properly canned cabbage will last for around one year, and it should be stored in a cool, dark area. Fresh, unwashed cabbage stored in a plastic bag with room for airflow will keep for a week or so in the refrigerator. Bagged kale keeps a day or two after its printed date, up to 5 days after you open the bag, whereas fresh kale will last around 5 to 7 days. Kale purchased at a local farmers market is likely to last longer than bags purchased at a supermarket.
If you’re interested in Can You Freeze Peaches, take a look at my other article
As a result, the kale purchased from a farmers market will last longer than kale purchased at a supermarket. To maintain a cool temperature, cabbage needs to be stored in a plastic container or bag in your fridge once you pick it. To prevent the kale from freezing, it is best stored toward the front of the fridge, where temperatures are typically warmer.
Keep in mind that the kale will spoil faster if exposed to too much water, so be sure to keep it dry. In case of fresh cabbage, when you are going to refrigerate it, you can either place it into a plastic ziploc bag wrapped with a paper towel, and when you are going to seal the bag, leave a little bit of room open so it gets the necessary constant airflow, or you can use perforated plastic ziploc bags to keep your cabbages inside. Since kale needs to breathe, it is best if the bag or container is not fully sealed, but allows some airflow instead. If stored correctly, kale keeps for up to two weeks at room temperature in the fridge.
Now, when you want to defrost the frozen Kale, you can thaw it either by leaving in the refrigerator overnight, or if you are going to be adding them into a cooked dish, you can just throw the frozen kale into the dish while it is cooking, but remember to adjust the time for cooking of the dish according to how long the kale takes to defrost. You could use a brine solution, or you could also pickle kale, which will be of high acidity enough that it could just be canned with a water bath.
Gerg also suggests switching to Tuscan kale, which has a blue-green leaf color and is less fibrous than the red, curly Russian variety. On days when kale is not available, Gerg suggests switching it up with other healthy greens, like Swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, or darker-green lettuces, like arugula, romaine, Swiss mache, and spring mixes. We discussed the various ways to store cabbage, as well as the health benefits of using cabbage.
If you’re interested in When should you eat dark chocolate?, take a look at my other article
Then, there is my grandma, who has jars of produce sitting in her cupboard today that are labeled Used By:July 2006, because she claims that she can tell when it is time to throw out what her grandma has.
When should you not eat kale?
Kale should be avoided by people who take blood thinners like Coumadin (warfarin), as the vitamin K in Kale, can interfere with this medication. People who find kale extremely bitter are known as “super tasters.” They may find it unpleasant to eat. It is infrequent that some people are allergic to kale and other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
Can you freeze kale?
Yes, Kale can be frozen either with or without being blanched. Kale that has been blanched can be frozen for up to a year. Kale may be frozen without being put into steam or boiling water. However, it requires to be consumed within four weeks. It’s recommended for kale to be blanched before being frozen.
How to tell if kale is bad?
A bad kale may show certain symptoms that it is deteriorating. A fungal infection may develop and symptoms like black, white, or rust-colored patches show up. You can also notice a texture that is wilted, mushy, or slimy, and an unpleasant sulphurous odor. If you find such symptoms, then discard it.