Why You Should Always Massage Kale, According To Sunny Anderson
When Sunny Anderson says you should massage your kale, you know you should start doing so. The trendy green used in our salads, smoothies, and even sprinkled atop pizza can apparently benefit from a little extra preparation. On Twitter, the co-host of Food Network's "The Kitchen" opened up about the best way to prep the ingredient by retweeting a photo of a delicious salad made with the leaf and toppings like pear, peppers, white cheddar, and pecans. In her post, Anderson said, "Massaging kale is underrated."
She's not suggesting a spa day for the vegetable but recommending a preparation technique. If you have ever felt fresh, uncut kale in your hands, then you know there's a rigidity to it. Per Minimalist Baker, it can be a bit fibrous and chewy, but massaging it makes it tender, easier to chew, and more digestible. Anderson also tweeted more about what she meant, including her method and the benefits.
Sunny Anderson's kale massaging method
When Sunny Anderson made her recommendation, the Twitterverse had some questions (via Twitter). One commenter asked, "How does one massage kale? My daughter wants more kale in her diet." The culinary star quickly responded, "Just put in a bowl and squeeze and toss and squeeze and toss, with your hands. I like to add fresh lemon juice and fresh orange juice as well, but not needed." Anderson explained the benefits in an additional tweet, writing, "It helps relax the fibers and make it more manageable to chew and digest. The acid quickens things. You'll know you're successful when it lessens in visible volume. Takes less than 30 seconds." Sounds easy enough.
One follower shared her approval and said, "It makes all the difference!" Another eagerly accepted the advice and replied, "Okay, I love a sexy salad." But not all types of the green need to be prepared this way. According to Fit Foodie Finds, baby kale is already tender and doesn't need to go through this process. However, tougher varieties like curly or Tuscan will benefit from being massaged.