Best Way to Cook Collard Greens

Collard greens is a broad leafy green vegetable. Some people call it a plant. It is believed to be a cross between the cabbage and the kale. It was primarily grown in the Southern United States in the late fall and harvested in the winter months of December through Spring. However, collard greens are now harvested year round across the country.

Collard greens are also known as collards or greens. Collards are easy to prepare, they just take a while to cook to a tenderness that a person may enjoy. Once cooked, they may be stored in the refridge for about a week and warmed as needed. They are very nutritious and provides fiber the body needs.

Collards may be purchased washed and chopped, frozen, in leafy bunches or fresh off the stalk. For now I will assume they are purchased leafy and off the stalk from the farmer.

Step 1

Wash the collards in hot water at least twice . This kills the bugs and spiders that have taken residence on them from the field. Wash each leaf with your hand or a small cooking brush. You are removing dirt and other things that settled on the leaf while it was in the garden.

Place each washed leaf in a container such as a colander so the water may drain off the leaf. After the leaves have been cleaned and drained, de-vein the collards. de-vein means cut the hard white stem from the middle of the leaf. De-veining helps them cook faster also.

Step 2

After de-veining the collards cut the collards into one inch strips. A pair of cooking shears would work fine for this job.Place the clean strips in a large cooking pot.

Step 3

Make sure the large pot will hold all the collards. Fill the pot with the collards and half full with cold water or your favorite broth.

Step 4

Sprinkle your favorite seasoning over the collards. Ms Dash or any spice will do. I like to include a cut up yellow onion. Some people like to add red pepper or black pepper.

Step 5

You can also add the meat such as ham hocks, pig's feet or any meat you wish for added seasoning flavor.Note: if the meat requires a long time to cook, cook it until it is done then add the collards. Allow the liquid to cool before placing the collards into pot of liquid. Or the meat may be placed at the bottom of the pot to cook along with the collards. The meat may be used in this case purely for flavor.

Step 6

Cover the pot of collards with a lid. I prefer a glass lid, I can then see how far the collards have cooked down without disturbing the cooking temperature. Allow the collars to come to a boil. Then turn the heat down to medium high. By this time the collards will have reduced down to half the volume that was originally in the pot. You may have to remove the lid of the pot to push the collards down into the hot liquid in the pot. Not a problem!

Step 7

Return the lid to the top of the pot of collards. Turn the heat down to medium-high. Cook the collards for about half an hour. After cooking for about half an hour taste the collards for tenderness. But if any part of the vein is left on the collards, press them for tenderness. If you can squeeze the vein and it collapses without real pressure, the collards are done.

Step 8

After about half an hour, pour off the liquid from the collards. Some people drink the liquid. It contains a lot of nutrients. Some people call the liquid "pot liquor." Allow the collards to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before handling.

Step 8

Place the collards in a large container and cut them up even more. You will want the cut up collards to fit in the mouth without large flaps of it trying to fit into your mouth. then transfer them into a serving dish.

Step 9

Some people fry a second onion in bacon fat. Then sprinkle the onions and bacon over the collards. Some people prefer frying the onions in olive oil. Some people also garnish the collards with fried onion rings from the can.

The taste of collards is a little tangy. It goes well with any main dish. The meat that was cooked with the collards my be served separately in its own dish or as a garnishment over the collards. Some people say they need to acquire a taste for collards. Either you're going to love them or you're going to hate them. I eat them every chance I get!

I hope you decide you love them too. Enjoy!

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