What a precious super food kale! This vegetable belongs to the Cruciferae (or Cruciferae) family of the Brassicaceae (or Brassicaceae) genus, varieties of leafy cabbages such as their cousins savoy cabbage, cauliflower, hood cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoli and so on. But unlike cauliflower and broccoli, does not develop a central head: It grows with long, crisp, curled dark green leaves with bluish hues.
The name derives from the Greek kaulós, which in fact means stem, stem, it is also called pen cabbage, palm cabbage or Tuscan cabbageprecisely because Tuscany deserves the credit for having been able to make the most of it with healthy and comfortable recipes such as the famous ribollita.
Properties of black cabbage
Black cabbage is a concentrate of beneficial substancesa precious source of mineral salts, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, sodium, sulfur, manganese, fluorine and selenium. As for vitamins it is certainly no less, in fact we find vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and K. But there are other good reasons to love it, does not contain cholesterolprovides approximately 49 calories per 100 grams of product, has decongestant, purifying, diuretic, antioxidant and laxative propertiesBe careful not to cook it for too long, it could have the opposite (astringent) effect. All these healthy properties make it a true wonder, excellent in the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases or painful symptoms: flu, sore throat, cold, sunburn and eczema, arthritis, wounds, skin rashes and sores, red and tired eyes, muscle pain , insect bites, gout, chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety, intestinal worms, gastric ulcers and colitis.
It is extremely valuable for the stomach and intestinesthanks to the presence within it of glutamine, which helps keep the barrier between the inside of the intestine and the rest of the body intact, so much so that its effectiveness seems to be even superior to the action of classic antacids. Great to be hired orally in the form of juice, juiced, blended, steamed, raw, fermented or dried, which used for external use in the preparation of compresses and bandages, let’s see together how to prepare them.
Dry the kale
The need for dry the kale comes from the fact that, unlike other types of cabbage, it grows continuously and to avoid eating it non-stop in the autumn/winter period, it is best to dry it and enjoy its benefits all year round. As always, start by eliminating the central rib, you can keep the leaves intact or cut them into strips, depending on what you will use them for once dried. For a softer effect it is possible to steam the leaves for about ten minutes and lightly salt them on the surface. In this case, drain the leaves and dry them well before proceeding with drying. Then place the leaves on a very finely woven grate, place it in a semi-shaded, ventilated place and at a temperature not lower than 15°C. In the evening hours, it is important to transfer the cabbage leaves to a closed and non-humid place, to avoid the formation of mold. Let it dry until you have a product that “cracks” when touched by your fingers.
You can do thealso drying in the oven, but be careful not to let the leaves blacken, otherwise you risk losing all precious virtues. In this case the oven must be set to the fan function at 100°C, place the cut leaves on a sheet of lightly oiled baking paper and leave the door slightly open, drying will be finished when the leaves are slightly crunchy. As a last option use the dryer, place the leaves in the baskets, adjust the hot air temperature to around 35°C and leave to dry for a few hours, about five or six.
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