processing collards (collard greens) to freeze

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freezing collards greens collard greens winter greens

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Collards, kale and other winter greens are perfect for freezing, because I always parboil them in salted water before I cook them in a recipe, anyway. The parboiling makes the greens tender, and the salt in the water removes bitterness. The greens keep just fine in the freezer for a whole year, packed in zipper-top freezer bags. Cook them up as braised collard greens, or in beans-and-greens soups. Look for recipes in my Farmers’ Market Cookbook!

several bunches of collard greens

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and salt it well.
2. Cut the leaves away from the long stems of 2 or 3 bunches of collards. Stack the leaves on top of each other, folded in half lengthwise, and slice the leaves into 1” wide ribbons.
3. Plunge the greens into the pot of boiling salted water, as many will fit at one time, and cook until tender. This could take as long as 8 or 10 minutes, but could be much shorter, depending on the age or toughness of the greens. Start tasting after 5 minutes.
4. Remove the greens to a colander, rinse with cold water and let drain for a bit. Squeeze gently to remove some of the water. Transfer to a freezer ziplock bag or a recycled yogurt container (label it first) and pop it in the freezer.