Canning Collard Greens

Now that I feel more confidant using a pressure canner I decided to can some of the collard greens I've been growing this summer.  I gathered a huge pile of greens and realized I should have taken a laundry basket with me rather than a little plastic grocery bag.  The first leaf I picked didn't even fit in it.

I rinsed both sides of each leaf in cold water and placed on the dish drainer.  When it got full I moved the leaves onto a paper towel on the counter and rinsed the rest.  I began by cutting the stem from each leaf then stacked the halves together.

When I amassed a decent sized stack, I cut it in half long ways, then across into strips around 1/4" to 1/2" wide.

 Keep a lookout for critters.

I put the chopped collards into the 12 quart pressure canner and added water about 2/3 full.  I boiled the greens for 15 minutes then ladled into pint jars to which I then added 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  I wiped the rim of each jar with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar.  I placed the lid and hand tightened the rings.  After cleaning the canner after cooking the greens, I placed the bottom in, then the jars and the two liters of water this size calls for.  I secured the lid and processed for 70 minutes at 15 pounds pressure.

All those greens, they filled a 12 quart pot, only made 5 pints of greens.  That's why you need to cook them before packing into a jar.  If you pack them raw, once they are cooked you'll be left with just a few spoonfuls after processing. 

Also, please note, I processed these for 70 minutes because I was doing pints.  If you are doing quarts then you need to process for 90 minutes.  I also used 15 pounds of pressure because I'm a little over 1,000 feet elevation, if I was lower I would have only used 10.  I'm so glad I got over my fear of pressure canning.  I can't wait to do more.