With more and more people all over the globe becoming interested in eating better, a plethora of recipes including items that people would ordinarily identify with healthiness being utilized to produce meals and snacks that are traditionally unhealthy are emerging.
This may assist expose younger children to the notion of eating their fruits and veggies in a more nutritious manner, since they will taste like the junk food that your children are familiar with and like.
At the same time, it may make eating healthily more appealing to grownups. After all, although junk food is completely rubbish since it contains no sustaining nutrients, it is popular for a reason, and that reason is that it may taste really nice.
People may ensure that they are obtaining the nutrients they need by transforming healthy meals into something that tastes as nice as the bad counterpart.
One of the most typical ways this is done is by transforming different fruits and vegetables into chips.
While conventional chips are prepared using potatoes, which are a pretty nutritious food on their own, many people believe that making other fruits and vegetables into chips is a better option for families who want to be as healthy as possible.
Furthermore, manufacturing chips from these alternative veggies is much simpler for folks who do not have access to professional grade equipment.
Kale has become one of the most popular fruits and vegetables for making alternative chips in recent years, out of all the numerous fruits and vegetables that people utilize.
If you’ve ever looked up kale and its reputation on the Internet, you’ll know that it’s well regarded in the world of fruits and vegetables.
If it can be made into a chip, more people may be interested in eating it since it can be salted and seasoned much more readily.
All of that being said, there are certain issues with kale chips in particular. Unfortunately, kale chips have a propensity to grow mushy. Nobody likes soggy chips made from vegetables.
To solve the soggy kale chip issue, you must first understand why these chips are prone to getting wet in the first place.
Once you understand how these chips become soggy, you may have a better idea of how to make them less susceptible to this, as well as how to create an environment in which your hard-made kale chips can become crispy again, allowing you to enjoy one of your favorite homemade snacks.
Contents
- Why Do Kale Chips Become Soggy?
- Keeping the Kale Crisp
- FAQs
- How do you keep kale chips crispy?
- Why did my kale chips get soggy?
- Is kale supposed to be crunchy?
- Why are my homemade kale chips bitter?
- How do you dry kale quickly?
- Does baking kale chips destroy nutrients?
- How do you keep kale crisp after harvesting?
- How do you refresh kale chips?
- How long will dehydrated kale chips last?
- How do you keep kale from wilting?
Why Do Kale Chips Become Soggy?
Kale chips are, by definition, a dried version of kale that tastes and feels similar to the way chips feel when you eat them. If your kale chips come out of the oven wilted and mushy, there is a problem with the baking process.
To be successful, most kale chips are manufactured by drying the leaves of the kale as much as possible.
From here, add a little bit of oil to the leaves and season the chips as desired, pressing the oil and seasoning into the kale leaves and placing everything in the oven for no more than 10 minutes at a time.
In the best of circumstances, this leaves no opportunity for moisture to grow in the kale chips. In truth, the additional oil is merely there to guarantee that your kale chips get crispy and wonderful in the oven, rather than burning to a crisp that you can’t eat.
If your kale chips come out mushy, you’ve overlooked an important step: eliminating the moisture.
Naturally, if the kale leaves have too much moisture on them, they will be mushy even after you remove them from the oven.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple method to physically remove the moisture from the kale chips, particularly now that they’ve been baked and placed in the oven; you can’t remove the water directly due to the oil.
Instead, you’ll have to solve the issue with a single, really simple answer.
If you are unable to extract the moisture from the kale leaves on your own, just return the kale to the oven for a few minutes longer, drawing out any leftover moisture in the leaves so that you may enjoy your nutritious chips as soon as possible.
Bake the kale chips in five-minute intervals until they have attained the crispiness that you want.
Remember that if you take too long, you may wind up scorching or overcooking the chips, which is an issue that cannot be addressed as simply as putting the chips back in the oven.
As a result, you’ll want to pay special attention to removing as much moisture from the kale leaves as possible before beginning the cooking process.
This is the simplest method to avoid having to deal with wet or wilted kale leaves when you eventually take them out of the oven.
After you’ve thoroughly washed your kale leaves, the simplest approach to dry them is to gently wipe them off with paper towels. You may attempt to wipe the kale leaves down roughly, but if you are too harsh, you may wind up shredding them, resulting in much smaller kale chips than you would want.
You may also use a salad spinner to accomplish the similar effect if you have one.
Allowing your kale chips to cool before doing anything with them can also help them become crisper. As with most fruits and vegetables, even if all of the moisture is boiled out, there is still enough moisture in these kale chips for this to happen.
When the chips are cooked, the water content starts to heat up as well, and since the water within the kale cools faster than the air surrounding it, the kale will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven.
By avoiding handling the kale for three minutes after it has been removed from the oven, you can guarantee that it retains as much crispiness as possible.
While it may seem like an eternity waiting for your kale chips to cool, the additional crispiness will be well worth it in the end, as you won’t have to think twice about eating as many kale chips as you can.
Keeping the Kale Crisp
Now that you’ve taken your crispy kale chips out of the oven, you’re probably wondering what you’re meant to do with them to keep them crisp.
Some individuals may feel that since kale chips are made from kale leaves that are kept in the fridge, your kale chips should also be kept in the fridge.
This is one of the worst options you can make for your kale chips, since it will rapidly get damp and mushy, even if you put it in the freezer.
Consider this. The fridge, particularly the crisper drawer, is intended to help preserve fruits and vegetables, including preventing them from drying out while in the fridge.
If the fridge’s purpose is to provide a climate in which fruits and vegetables may grow, you won’t want to keep your chips there.
Assuming you do not want to consume all of your kale chips at once, you will want to keep them in an airtight container.
This keeps any outside humidity and moisture from reaching the chips, ensuring that they maintain the crispness they had when you initially pulled them out of the oven after making them.
You can usually store your kale chips in this sort of airtight container for a week or more, depending on the humidity level in your home. The faster you consume your kale chips, the more damp your home will be.
FAQs
How do you keep kale chips crispy?
It is critical to allow them to cool fully to retain them crispy. They may be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days after cooling. To the sealed jar, you may also add a few grains of raw rice or silica packets (like those found in store-bought kale chips). & Ideal for snacking!
Why did my kale chips get soggy?
If the leaves aren’t thoroughly dried, the water in the leaves might “steam” the kale chips when baking, resulting in the dreaded wet kale chip! Before massaging in the oil, make sure they are completely dry. A salad spinner works well; just don’t overload it so the leaves can dry correctly.
Is kale supposed to be crunchy?
Let’s face it: kale is a contentious vegetable. Some people love it for its crunchy texture and pungent taste, while others find it bitter and disgusting.
Why are my homemade kale chips bitter?
High heat might cause the kale to burn and taste unpleasant. If you dislike bitter tastes, avoid using olive oil. Olive oil may give a dish a strong, bitter taste. Use new oil.
How do you dry kale quickly?
Place the chopped leaves on the dehydrator trays. Dry till crisp and crumbly over medium heat. If the weather isn’t too humid, kale will dry in 6 to 8 hours.
Does baking kale chips destroy nutrients?
We enjoy leafy greens in general, but it’s astonishing how kale transforms when roasted at a low temperature in the oven. My kids can eat a full head of kale cooked this way in less than five minutes. And, unlike potato chips, kale chips keep their nutritious benefits when cooked.
How do you keep kale crisp after harvesting?
Kale may be stored between 32° to 34°F (0°-4°C) and 90 to 95 percent humidity (wet) with moderate air movement for two to three weeks. Wrap leaves in a wet cloth or paper towel and place them in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator’s vegetable crisper to protect them from drying out.
How do you refresh kale chips?
Cut their stems at an angle, about one inch from the bottom, using sharp scissors or a knife. Then place them in a glass of water, return to the fridge, and they’ll be as good as new in a few hours!
How long will dehydrated kale chips last?
How long can dehydrated kale chips be stored? Any kale chips that you aren’t intending to consume right away may be stored in a gallon size freezer ziplock bag or a glass food storage container with a locking top to keep air out. The kale chips will keep for approximately a week, although they are best within two days of being made.
How do you keep kale from wilting?
After washing and removing excess moisture from the kale, divide it out and wrap it loosely in clean paper towels. Refrigerate it in a ziplock bag or an airtight container in the crisper drawer for up to 6 days.