Collards

Post by **JEBar** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:18 pm

earlier today we had the most pleasant surprise of finding fresh, chopped collard for sale in the market of the Walmart in Brookings, SD .... first time we've ever found them in this part of the country when we got back to the camper we washed them, boiled them for 5 hrs using 2 smoked ham hocks for seasoning .... we now have some in the frig for tomorrow and some in the freezer as well

Post by **JEBar** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 1:42 pm

another collard cooking as shown below :

2 large triple washed bags purchased at Conroe, TX Walmart

both bags mashed down in the pot

at 1 hr.

at 2 hr.

draining after 6 hrs

drained

yielded 4 qts for the freezer and 1 qt for tonight's meal .... like cabbage, broccoli and turnips the aroma of collards cooking isn't one we want in our house or camper .... cooking them outside on our Bass Pro camping stove (shown in post above) really works well

Post by **Mistered** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:08 pm

Looks great!

I don't know if I have ever had collard greens but my question is - is there a reason to boil them for such a long time?

I typically steam my veggies to keep them crisp and flavorful. It seems to me boiling for that amount of time would turn them to mush.

Post by **TMB** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:11 pm

There are ways to cook great tasting and tender collards without the all day commitment. Unless you are following an old family tradition. I've cooked collards with a ham hock all day. I've also used bacon drippings in an iron frying pan to fry while stiring for about 4 minutes then add water and boil for an hour to tenderize. Of course you can eat them right from the frying pan with a little salt and pepper. If you just steamed them they'd be tough and bitter.

Post by **JEBar** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:41 pm

Mistered wrote: ↑
Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:08 pm
Looks great!

I don't know if I have ever had collard greens but my question is - is there a reason to boil them for such a long time?

I typically steam my veggies to keep them crisp and flavorful. It seems to me boiling for that amount of time would turn them to mush.

for the best results, collards shouldn't be harvested until they have been "bitten" by a heavy frost .... bitten a couple of times is even better .... if harvested early, they can be frozen prior to cooking .... for large batches we boil the collards with a smoked pork picnic shoulder .... for smaller batches we use chunks of (Smithfield) hickory smoked pork jowl bacon .... the seasoning meat is usually fried in the pot that the collards will be cooked .... doing so renders the fat .... we make it a point to boil them in pure water .... no chlorinated or treated water .... the harder the boil, the quicker they cook .... we prefer a rolling boil .... they need to boil until tender .... that includes the stems .... just how long it takes, can vary .... to us, the best way to heat/cook them to serve is to saute them in a cast iron pan with a little oil/bacon grease .... at the table I season mine with hot pepper vinegar

Post by **markiver54** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:46 pm

They are very good when done the way Jim does them.
My does them almost exactly the same,....they must be tenderised. No crispy collards.

Post by **BigAl52** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 5:33 pm

My wife and I cook Broccoli on the BBQ. Toss it in olive oil with red pepper flakes and cook it on a flat pan. Always comes out crisp and I really like it that way. We usually throw on some mushrooms with it. Ive never eaten Collard greens either but Id sure give them a try.

Post by **JEBar** » Wed Feb 15, 2023 10:07 pm

Collards revisited ===>

today was a beautiful one .... low 70's, clear blue sky, nice breeze .... how better way can there be to spend it than boiling collard greens ..

.. today's cooking went pretty much the same as the one covered above .... we still buy the collards in 2 lb bags, already washed and chopped .... we seasoned the filtered water with pieces of a country ham hoc .... after boiling it for roughly an hour we poured in the 8 bags, 16 lbs of collards .... slow boiled them for 6 1/2 hours .... had a mess of'um for dinner and packed the rest in a dozen quart freezer bags .... they are now in the freezer

Post by **daytime dave** » Thu Feb 16, 2023 10:51 am

Jim, now I almost wish I didn't pass on the bags of collards I found at the market a couple of days ago. I passed on them as I'm waiting for my new vent fan to come in. I didn't want the house to smell like that for days.