Just tried Collards for the 1st time

[sharon78070]

I just had me some fresh out the garden collards with bacon and onion and nearly fell out of the chair they were so good.  I don't ever remember having these as a child and with all the talk on the forum I decided to grow some in my fall garden.  WOWSA!!!!!  YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM!!!!  My hubby was very impressed and was proud for me too.  I have enough for left overs and more to cook up tomorrow that will be frozen.  Thank you Lord for the veggies and this wonderful forum to gain gardening wisdom, friends and neighbors to share with.

Sharon

[tbird]

Sharon,  my Dad was a greens eating machine.  Turnip greens, mustard greens and collards were his weekly menu.  The only greens I really liked was Collards.  To this day I will eat Mustard greens but collards are by far my favorite.  Find one of the recipes that use sugar in the mix.  I like those better than the ones without.  Instead of sugar I add sorghum syrup.        Fine livin'  !        

[Soilguy]

Sharon, glad you've had success with something new. The folks on this Forum are the greatest, for sure. A colleague of mine a while back had not ever tried any "southern" versions of greens recipes so I explained how to do greens with bacon and onions. He and his wife really liked them. I further explained that greens go well with cornbread (made WITHOUT sugar!!!), so now they have that as well.
Oh no....it's only 6:30 in the morning and I want some greens and cornbread   . Larry

[beanie57]

love my mustard greens -  once i finish cooking greens i cut up boiled eggs on top!! 

[Misplaced Texan]

I will eat most greens but collards are by far my greens of choice.  When cooking i add a little chicken bullion granules along with the bacon and onions.  They are really good.

I will have some for Fall 2012 as i will have a deer fence around that part of the garden.

Gail

[quiverful]

Collards are great.........that's what my husband was raised on here in SC, but my Georgia family prefers mustards (My favorite!).  I cook them differently.  I cook collards all day with hamhock.   I cook mustards in fresh pork neckbones or sometimes fresh country style pork ribs.  I HAVE to have lacey cornbread with my mustards.  So thankful my aunt taught me how to make it.  I never could learn their way of making buttermilk buscuits.  I'm hungry!

[sharon78070]

I will eat most greens but collards are by far my greens of choice.  When cooking i add a little chicken bullion granules along with the bacon and onions.  They are really good.

I will have some for Fall 2012 as i will have a deer fence around that part of the garden.

Gail

Gail,
I used water and about 2 cups chicken broth for extra flavor.  I did a search on the forum for recipes before I made them and came across one from Ralph the Swampgardener where he used the chicken stock.  Sounded good so I used what I had, bacon instead of hamhock, onion and the broth.  Man they are sooo good.  I will definitely be planting these again for the fall.

Sharon

[sharon78070]

Collards are great.........that's what my husband was raised on here in SC, but my Georgia family prefers mustards (My favorite!).  I cook them differently.  I cook collards all day with hamhock.   I cook mustards in fresh pork neckbones or sometimes fresh country style pork ribs.  I HAVE to have lacey cornbread with my mustards.  So thankful my aunt taught me how to make it.  I never could learn their way of making buttermilk buscuits.  I'm hungry!

Quiver,
Mustards are my next step.  I bought some in the produce aisle at the grocers and am going to give them a try to see if we like them.  If so, they will be going in the garden too.  Can hardly wait to get into the kitchen and start cookin'!  LOL

[sharon78070]

love my mustard greens -  once i finish cooking greens i cut up boiled eggs on top!! 

Beanie,
I'll have to give that a try!  Sounds interesting.  Kind of like a chinese dish of some kind.

[Paul5388]

My wife, being from east Texas, used to cook turnip greens that took almost a half of a bottle of pepper vinegar for me to get them down, but she liked them that way, bitter green cardboard.  She has recently started adding just a little bit of sugar to kill the bitter and I actually enjoy them now!  She stopped using hog in her greens and beans a long time ago and I haven't missed it at all.  She also doesn't cook them all day, like the locals do and that helps too.

Our garden this past year was so dismal we didn't have anything that survived other than some kale, so we've been buying frozen turnips and turnip greens at Kroger to tide us over.  No oil is used to cook them and maybe 30 minutes of cooking time, just until they're tender.  Just about any green can be cooked with the same method, but may not need any sugar.  A little hot water bread really goes well with it and provides plenty of fat for the meal.  I may need some hot water bread tomorrow and maybe some greens.

[sharon78070]

Paul,
I have had turnip greens before and like you, I did not enjoy their bitter flavor.  I am going to try to grow some "turnip greens" this year.  There is no turnip in the ground, just the greens growing above ground.  If they do well and I can get a mess of them, maybe I can cook them so that I like them.  Just an experiment.  We'll see.

I also don't see the need to cook greens all day.  I cooked mine in about 20-30 minutes and they were just right.  Next time I am not going to use as much bacon.  I wanted it just for flavor, but it was just a little overpowering.  All in all though I loved the collards and can't wait to try the mustard and other greens that are available.  I am so tired of salad, I just have to get my greens in another way.

[quiverful]

Paul,
I have had turnip greens before and like you, I did not enjoy their bitter flavor.  I am going to try to grow some "turnip greens" this year.  There is no turnip in the ground, just the greens growing above ground.  If they do well and I can get a mess of them, maybe I can cook them so that I like them.  Just an experiment.  We'll see.

I also don't see the need to cook greens all day.  I cooked mine in about 20-30 minutes and they were just right.  Next time I am not going to use as much bacon.  I wanted it just for flavor, but it was just a little overpowering.  All in all though I loved the collards and can't wait to try the mustard and other greens that are available.  I am so tired of salad, I just have to get my greens in another way.

Turnips do have a stronger taste than collards.  Greens are better after a good frost.  It changes the sugar level in the leaves, and they won't be as bitter. 

[Paul5388]

I checked with my wife, since I don't actually get involved in the cooking, and found out she isn't using any oil/fat when she cooks greens.  Not boiled hard, but boiled for about 30-45 minutes and about 1 teaspoon of sugar per pound of greens.  If fat is a must, she adds a pat of butter after they are cooked.  She said people need to learn to taste their food, not a bunch of seasonings and fat.

BTW, hot water bread, for the uninitiated, is fried cornbread made/mixed with boiling water.  I'll post the recipe in new thread.

[Possum]

Sharon
Like you I had not eaten them before and I like them better than mustard greens.
Possum

[newbie57]

My wife doesn't use water when cooking Collards anymore. Her aunt taught her to cook some bacon in the pot, wash the collards and the only water that goes with them is what is left on the leaves from the wash and the bacon grease from frying the bacon. They are very good you just don't get the pot Liquor alot of people like with their cornbread. Collards also to me are even better the next day warmed up in a black cast iron skillet. Gives them even more flavor. Now i want some.
Buddy