I need a recipe to make collard greens that are not bitter.

[lynn]

Thanks

[Snickerdoodle]

Collard greens are best (read not bitter) when there is frost.

[Guest kacifl]

I boil the greens, with 1/2 of boullion cube. Drain and add to our lasagna dish, as I would if it were spinach. It is soooooooo good. K

[Carol in Cal.]

I have to fry them for quite a while--it's not quick like Chinese food.

 

They come out much sweeter. It is funny that garlic would have that effect, but it does. Sometimes I pre-saute some shallots and then add the greens and the garlic at the same time.

[chickenpatty]

Collard greens are best (read not bitter) when there is frost.

 

I agree. We accidentally grew some recently, thinking they were lettuce seeds. They grew beautifully, but because of the warmer weather, they were so bitter we couldn't eat them.

 

My great grandpa liked them bitter. He ate them with vinegar.

[Jenny in Atl]

Cook it to death with lots of salt and fat back. Make sure to cut out the hard middle stem. Then add more salt, some pepper, and a dash of vinegar.

 

Just like my MIL would make.

 

When this woman talks, I hear my MIL... it's like she lives on through her. Freaks me out every time.

[Doran]

I agree. We accidentally grew some recently, thinking they were lettuce seeds. They grew beautifully, but because of the warmer weather, they were so bitter we couldn't eat them.

 

My great grandpa liked them bitter. He ate them with vinegar.

 

 

Collards and vinegar are like ice cream and chocolate sauce, like peaches and cream, like bacon and eggs. ;)

 

I grew up Southern, and learned to eat collards cooked true to that region, which equates to boiled to death with lots of fat back. I learned that you don't have to cook them that way to make them tasty. Here's what I do:

 

Stem all the leaves. Chop as small as you like - we generally go pretty small because it makes them easier to eat. Rinse well in a sink full of cool water. Heat olive oil and/or bacon grease in the bottom of a large pan. Sautee chopped onion and garlic if you wish in the oil, then, add in the wet chopped greens. Toss them in the oil and onion until all pieces are shiny and wilting. Stick a lid on your pot for a few minutes if they aren't wilting fast enough, but be careful not to have your pan so hot that the greens are frying in the oil. Repeat this process until all your chopped greens have been added and tossed in the oil. Then add about a cup of water (less if using smaller amounts of greens), chicken stock, or bouillon. Salt as desired, remembering that most commercial stocks and boillons have a lot of salt already. Cook down for 10-15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Don't cook to the point that the green color starts to go olive green. You want them nice and dark, but not putrid looking. As soon as they are tender to your palette, they're ready to eat.

 

And, yes, they're best in fall when there's been a frost or two. The cold weather enhances the sugars in the plant's leaves. Same is true for Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

 

Ummm. Now I want greens! :D

[chickenpatty]

Stem all the leaves. Chop as small as you like - we generally go pretty small because it makes them easier to eat. Rinse well in a sink full of cool water. Heat olive oil and/or bacon grease in the bottom of a large pan. Sautee chopped onion and garlic if you wish in the oil, then, add in the wet chopped greens. Toss them in the oil and onion until all pieces are shiny and wilting. Stick a lid on your pot for a few minutes if they aren't wilting fast enough, but be careful not to have your pan so hot that the greens are frying in the oil. Repeat this process until all your chopped greens have been added and tossed in the oil. Then add about a cup of water (less if using smaller amounts of greens), chicken stock, or boillon. Salt as desired, remembering that most commercial stocks and boillons have a lot of salt already. Cook down for 10-15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Don't cook to the point that the green color starts to go olive green. You want them nice and dark, but not putrid looking. As soon as they are tender to your palette, they're ready to eat.

 

And, yes, they're best in fall when there's been a frost or two. The cold weather enhances the sugars in the plant's leaves. Same is true for Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

 

Ummm. Now I want greens! :D

 

That is exactly how I cook them! So much better than the stewy green mass I remember from childhood. I like to add real bacon bits, too. Oh, and of course, a pinch of sugar.:001_smile: