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.

Beans and Greens

My new favorite food is greens!  Or should that be my new favorite foods are greens?  I need the grammar nazi to help me out here.  But anyway, I love kale, and collards especially.  Tonight I picked a bunch of collard leaves from the garden, around 10 or 12 of the biggest ones. 

I brought them in and rinsed both sides of each leaf and cut out the stem in the middle.  If the leaves were smaller you can leave the stem in but when the are bigger like this they seem a little tough.  After removing the stem, I stacked them, and cut into smaller pieces, around 1" x 2" roughly.  Below is a basic recipe for making BEANS AND GREENS.

Olive oil
Collard leaves, 10-12 large, stems removed and roughly chopped
Medium yellow onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can navy beans, or pinto, or black eyed peas, rinsed well
salt
pepper
soy sauce

In a medium pan, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and let heat for 1 minute.  Add the onions and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add garlic and let cook for 1 minute.  Add the greens and let cook for 5 minutes, stir and about 5 minutes more or until tender.  Add the beans, stir, and heat through, about 2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and a splash of soy sauce, stir and serve.