How to Cook Collards and Other Greens

Two Ways To Prepare Frozen Greens

To prepare the frozen greens you have cleaned, cut and parboiled simply remove the bags from the freezer and place them in the sink or a bowl to defrost. We do not suggest defrosting them in the microwave because it starts the cooking process. Review my article “How to store fresh greens and have them all year long” if you do not know how to prepare your greens for freezing. During the summer months the price of greens decreases here in the northeast. Summer and fall crops of kale, collards, mustards, turnips and swiss chard are plentiful. If you clean them, blanch them and freeze them yourself you can save money and reduce your cooking time. If you don't have access to a farm to purchase your greens in quantity you can also avail yourself of them at your local green market or fresh fruit and vegetable stand which are all over the state. In a pinch you can also purchase them by the bag or box in the frozen food section of your local supermarket.

Southern Style Preparation with Meat

In the southern style of cooking greens you washed them and a piece of salted meat. You could put two pig knuckles in a pot to boil for an hour and then add your greens and cook until done. You could also fry some slab, thickly sliced bacon or salt pork in the bottom of your dutch oven pot and then add the greens and cover them with water. Then you would cook them until they were done.

We prefer to cook our greens with smoked turkey meat which can be found in any supermarket. You can find wings, legs or pieces to use when making your greens. We would recommend using one pound of parts for two to four gallon bags of frozen greens. If you use too little meat you won’t get the flavoring you are looking for. Boil your turkey pieces for 15-20 minutes and then add your defrosted greens. Since the greens have been parboiled they require less time to cook. If you were cooking fresh greens it could take 2-3 hours before they are completely cooked. Parboiled greens take less than an hour. If you prefer your greens steamed then you can cook them for less than 30 minutes.

After your greens have cooked for at least twenty minutes you can begin to add your seasonings. We usually add water to the pot to half the height of the greens in the pot. If some of your greens are still frozen they will add additional water. Never let the water in the pot get to less than one inch in the pot or you risk burning your greens. Burned greens are like burned rice. Once burned you throw them out because the entire pot tastes burned.

We add a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon (tsp) of black pepper for each gallon bag of frozen greens. We mix kale, collards and mustards or kale collards and turnips together in one pot. You can add ½ tsp of hot sauce per gallon bag and ½ tsp of red pepper flakes per bag. Our family tradition is to also add 1 tbs of vinegar, white or apple cider to the greens. Once you have added the seasonings stir the greens a few times to distribute them throughout the entire pot. Cook the greens until they taste cooked to your desired level.

Vegan Style Meatless Preparation

If you prefer to eat your greens without any meat to season them you have a variety of combinations that will add a full bodied taste to them. Liquid smoke is now available in most supermarkets in the seasoning section. Follow the directions on the label and use less and add as you feel is needed. You should need less than a teaspoon (we used approximately 1/4 tsp mixed in water and then added) for each gallon bag of greens. Wash and prepare them the same way you would if you were cooking them with meat. Once the greens have cooked for 15-20 minutes you can start to add your seasonings in layers. We would use adobo, ½ tsp per bag because it contains salt, pepper, garlic, onions and other spices to add flavor. Adding ½ tsp of black pepper, ½ tsp of hot sauce and ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes will spice up the taste of the greens. We would still add 1 tbs of vinegar and stir the pot to distribute the seasoning throughout. Vegetarians who cook their vegetables with Spike seasoning could add one tsp to the greens. Another optional seasoning if you are steaming the greens is to add fresh minced garlic. Some recipes also call for adding diced red bell pepper and minced onion to the pot.

Remember that you have to develop your own style of cooking. Your preferences in how you like for your food to taste should guide you when you decide what additional products you want to add to your recipe. My Grandma Laura is the inspiration for 95% of my recipes. She did not measure when she cooked and it forced me to have to do many trial runs to get my food to taste as good as hers did. When catering for about twenty years I also learned that I needed to consistently prepare my meals and that required measuring the components. Other delicious hubs you might enjoy are 4th of July Vegan Stirfy, and How to prepare dry beans. If you want to process fresh greens and store them read my hub How to Store Fresh Greens to Enjoy All Year Long and then follow the recipe to cook them.

Please continue to read my hubs as I pursue the 30 hubs in 30 days Challenge. I truly appreciate the support and your input. The goal is to improve the quality of my writing. Dee