This Is How Long Kale Stays Fresh

Kale may have taken the world by storm a while back and whether or not you think it was worthy of the limelight, this vegetable is good for you. You may be surprised to learn that kale is a type of cabbage that simply doesn't form a head and instead only forms tall leaves (via Allrecipes). And the cool thing about kale is there are many varieties to choose from that are usually available wherever you buy your veggies. You can pick up curly leaf kale, a purplish-hued kale, or kale with bumpy slender leaves the color of a pine tree that has the nickname "dinosaur kale" (via Allrecipes).

If you love the texture of the leaves and how versatile kale is when it comes to cooking and preparing it, then this leafy green probably takes up some space in your fridge. But you may wonder, just how long kale stays fresh after purchasing from the farmers market or grocery store, or heck, maybe you even grew it and picked it yourself.

The good news is that kale is a hardy green, so the leaves tend to last longer and stay fresher than other leafy veggies, such as spinach, Eat By Date explains. But you don't want to just toss the kale anywhere in the fridge. In general, you want to take extra care with all your fruit and veggies, right? That means placing them in the proper place, whether that's on the counter or in kale's case, in the crisper drawer.

According to Eat By Date, "It is best to store the bunches whole and unwashed in the fridge vegetable drawer." Following this advice, your kale will typically last seven to 14 days (via Eat By Date) but of course there are different factors, such as when it was picked, when it was purchased and how it was stored in the fridge. And if you're not sure if it's still fresh or not, there is one obvious indicator: Make sure the leaves haven't turned yellow (via Eat By Date). If they have, that's a sure sign that it may be ready for the compost bin rather than your plate.