Why do you massage kale

If the kale is getting shredded into thin pieces or chopped to bits, you don't need to work it over before serving it raw—whatever dressing and tossing you're doing already should render it tender enough.

Also, if you're going to dress a salad well ahead of time and let it hang out in the fridge, massaging isn't necessary. Acids like citrus juice and vinegar break down the cellulose in kale in the same way that massaging it does. Just let it hang out in a bowl with the dressing. And if you're working with tender baby kale, the kind you find packed in plastic tubs with the salad greens, you definitely don't need to massage it—that stuff is delicate enough to eat on its own, and massaging it will just wilt it in a gross way.

You need to love your kale before it loves you. Or you love it? Or you love yourself? Just give the stuff a massage if it needs it, OK? Smaller, confetti bits of kale are a terrific size for lots of chopped salads, perfectly textured but not too wilted … with no massage needed! Between those two methods, I find that even coarser, curly kale turns out to be exactly the right texture for raw salads. All three of our kale salads rely on a combination of the two methods described above to turn tough green kale into the perfect partner for other hearty, wholesome ingredients:.

But … you probably do have to do something in order to soften it a bit before eating. Let Them Eat Kale! The Book of Kale by Sharon Hanna. That dollop of molasses he's throwing in? It gets its rich, dark color and slow, lazy texture from a host of melanoidinsbig, slow molecules that form when sugars and amino acids are condensed. Patiently drizzle it into your dressing and you have one powerful emulsifier that slows down the movement of the other liquids in the mix. We brought Souza into WIRED to demo some of the book's most helpful tips and explain how you can turn something as ubiquitous and boring as a kale salad into a savory, crunchy wonder.

If kale isn't your thing, do not despair. We'll be releasing a series of these videos featuring Souza and his science-based cooking hacks over the coming weeks, so you can get a sneak peak into Cook's Science while you're fretting over what and how to cook for Thanksgiving. Kitchen Tips » How to Massage Kale. People are making everything with kale, especially salads. Like, all types of kale salads. And it it soooo good. Yup, I love kale, obviously! But…when raw, it can be so tough and bitter!

Well…by massaging kale YES! If you try my recipe, use cookingformysoul on Instagram! Follow me on Pinterest , Instagram , Facebook for the latest fun updates and recipes!