Here’s the deal. Kale is super fragile, despite its heartiness. And because of all the grooves that some varieties have, it takes it forever to completely dry. So don’t bother wetting it again. I beg you! Washing it before storage will only increase spoilage.
So do we wash our kale before storing it? Oh, kale no!
Now, you want to store kale in the refrigerator (duh!) but in the coldest part of the fridge. Kale tends to get more and more bitter the longer it is left at room temperature, so keep it fresh, sucka’!
I tightly wrap my kale in a paper towel and then place it in an air-tight bag. Now, since kale bunches tend to be somewhat large, that is not always possible. Just get the bag as air-tight as you can.
Do not de-stem it. Kale is very sensitive. You only want to cut it and wash it before use (have I said that enough yet). It is also sensitive to other produce. Kale is very sensitive to ethylene, formed naturally from certain other food, so store it away from those items.
Here are some fruits and veggies that you should not store near your kale:
Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas, unripe
Cantaloupe
Figs
Honeydew
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Tomatoes
If you follow these tips, your kale will stay fresh for a week, if not longer. It is as comfortable as that!