Seasonal produce
When is kale in season?
Kale is sold year-round, but it’s a cool-season green, and fall into early winter is when it’s best. NC State Extension says kale produces its top yields and quality in early spring or fall, and that for sweeter-tasting leaves you should wait to harvest until frost or cold weather arrives. UMass Extension says Massachusetts-grown kale is available mid-June through early December and tastes sweeter after the first frost. In Florida it’s a winter crop. Dates below name their source.
Kale season at a glance
Best: fall into early winter, after the first frosts (NC State; UMass; Utah State). Massachusetts: mid-June through early December (UMass Extension). North Carolina: a fall planting six weeks before the first frost date gives an autumn and early-winter harvest (NC State). Florida: grown in the winter months, sown September through January or February and picked through spring (UF/IFAS).
By region
Florida (UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions): start kale from seed any time from September through January or February; leaves are ready about 70 to 80 days from seed or 55 days from transplants, and plants keep giving through spring. UF/IFAS says Tuscan kale often lasts into summer there. North Carolina (NC State Extension): plant six weeks before your first fall frost for an autumn and early-winter harvest; baby greens are ready 20 to 30 days after seeding and mature leaves 50 to 75 days. Massachusetts (UMass Extension): local kale runs mid-June through early December. Minnesota (UMN Extension): kale is cold-tolerant and keeps producing new leaves well beyond the first fall frosts, and even frozen leaves can be harvested and cooked. Utah (Utah State Extension): mature plants are extremely hardy, and many gardeners leave kale in the garden through the winter. For other regions, your market and local extension office are the best guide.
Why frost makes it better
Four extension services say the same thing. NC State: for sweeter-tasting leaves, wait to harvest until frost or cold weather arrives. UMass: kale has a sweeter flavor when harvested after the first frost. Utah State: frosts help improve the flavor of the fall-planted crop. UMN: for the fall crop, the cooler the weather, the better the flavor, until freezing temperatures stop growth. The practical version: where winters get cold, kale picked after the first frosts is the one to buy.
Curly, lacinato, red and baby
UMass lists four common types. Curly kale is the most common, with tightly ruffled, bright green leaves, a fibrous stem and a peppery flavor. Lacinato (dinosaur) kale has long, dark, puckered leaves with tough stems and a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. UF/IFAS calls the same plant Tuscan kale, with blue-green to near-black leaves. Russian red kale has flat, red-tinged leaves on red-purple stems. Baby kale is any variety harvested very young, with thin stems and tender leaves. Ornamental (flowering) kale is edible, but UF/IFAS says its leaves are usually bitter and best used as a garnish.
How to pick a good bunch
UMass: look for crisp, dark-colored leaves and firm stems, and avoid yellow or wilted leaves. Size tells you how to use it. NC State says the tender, young center leaves are fine in salads, while the chewier, larger, older leaves are best steamed, sautéed or cooked like cabbage.
How to store it
UMass: refrigerate kale soon after you buy it, in a perforated plastic bag in the produce drawer, for up to five days. NC State says fresh greens keep up to a week in the refrigerator. To freeze extra, UMass says to blanch the leaves for 2 to 3 minutes, blot them dry, and freeze them in a labeled, dated freezer bag to use within a year. Utah State’s 2 to 3 weeks at 32°F and 95 percent humidity is a cold-storage figure, not home-fridge advice.
How to cook it
UMass: wash it well in cold water, drain and dry it, and strip the midrib from large leaves. Kale can be blanched, steamed, sautéed or baked, and it can stand in for spinach or collards in a recipe. For raw kale, UMass says massaging the leaves with oil and salt softens them and cuts the bitterness. For a weeknight pot, make the kale and white bean pot. For the other big Southern green, see when collard greens are in season.
Recipes and related guides
Kale and white bean pot · When are collard greens in season? · When are Brussels sprouts in season? · November produce guide · December produce guide · Produce checklist
Set my region
Pick the region closest to you. Your pick changes which produce and recipes we show you. We never ask for your address, and this isn’t a directory of stores or restaurants.
No region saved yet. Pick the closest region.
Weekly list
What’s in season in your region, once a week.