The Best Kales

(Page 4 of 6)

August/September 2003
 
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At Cavagnaro's in Iowa, two weeks of cold, mid-November nights with temperatures dipping into the teens seriously damaged his kales by Thanksgiving Day, when the morning low hit 14 degrees. 'Vates' was the clear winner with the least amount of frost damage, while Winterbor' came in a close second. A big surprise un der these conditions was how well `White Russian' held up, still retaining a number of its youngest leaves in a harvestable state despite the cold.

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Colley's New Mexico plots, with cold, dry winter weather at 5,000 feet in the Rockies, yielded similar results, with `Vates,' Winterbor' and `White Russian' topping the field. According to Colley, `Vates' is the most reliable variety for living straight through the winter in New Mexico. In all three locations, 'Lacinato proved significantly more cold-hardy than 'Nero Di Toscana.'

FLAVOR'S THE THING

When it comes to kale flavor, which should be sweet and robust, folks who know their kales are quite passionate about their favorites. Anyone who has had the good fortune of dining on high quality, cold-weather kale from market farmers probably has tasted `Winterbor,' the standard for 20 years. It is so delicious, it sets the bar.

`Vates,' in our taste tests, seems quite comparable to `Winterbor,' but `Redbor,' despite its brilliant red color and market appeal, fell sadly short.

The best bet for improving kale's popularity among those yet unacquainted with its charms appears to be 'Lacinato,' however. Morton (shown in photo at right), with his years of experience growing and selling kales, says of this old Italian variety now gaining popularity in the United States, "It is not the most productive, the most cold hardy or the most uniform, but 'Lacinato' is the most sought-after by customers— and by the farm crew, too."

If you want kale for cool-weather salads, try the beautiful `White Russian' (available from seed sources 1 and 7, at right) or `Winter Red' (7). If you live where it gets cold and you want to stretch your season, be sure to grow `Winterbor' F1 (3, 4, 5, 7) and `Vates' (2, 3). If you love the flavor of cooked kale, be sure to try 'Lacinato' (1 and 6). If you're really adventurous, try a little of each and enjoy kale throughout the year!

John Navazio, Ph.D., is director of seed grower development at the Abundant Life Seed Foundation in Port Townsend, Washington, and owner of the organic seed company, Seed Movement, in Bellingham, Washington.

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