Fried Collard Greens Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put vinegar in collard greens? ›

This might seem like an unusual addition if you're new to making collard greens, but the vinegar adds a welcome tangy note that brightens the dish and balances out the salty, savory flavors. A tablespoon of sugar also helps balance out the greens' potential bitterness.

The foods that help reduce bitterness are: Salt while cooking and/or while eating (like on bitter salad greens) Sweet or Spicy. Sour or Acids like lemon or vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar: Collards can be notoriously bitter. The vinegar balances the flavor and removes the bitterness. Stone House Seasoning: My favorite house blend seasoning of garlic, salt, and pepper. Sugar: A little bit helps remove any bitterness from the collard greens while giving a slightly sweet flavor.

Why: Most collard recipes call to discard the stems because they're so fibrous, but if you chop them small, they will cook just like the leafy greens. The finished dish is just as delicious and a lot thriftier than traditional collard greens, and the pleasantly-supple stems give these greens a distinctive bite.

Keep them in a plastic bag to retain moisture. How to Pack Them Store well for a few weeks in the refrigerator in plastic bags. While in Storage Remove any yellowing or declining leaves as they appear. Giving the bottom end of the stems a fresh cut every few days helps keep your greens crisp.

The most authentic collard greens, in my opinion, are made with smoked ham hocks or bacon. But, as time has passed, society has gotten more health conscious. So, many families began using alternatives such as smoked turkey necks, wings, and tails.

Baking soda has infinite uses in cooking and beyond: It's a leavening agent, an odor neutralizer, and an antacid to name a few. In the case of collard greens, baking soda's utility is threefold, serving as a flavor enhancer, a tenderizer, and a color protector.

Make sure you let the water drain out of you collard greens as much as possible. Too much water in your pot will ruin your greens.

Do baking soda make collard greens tender? ›

Baking soda has infinite uses in cooking and beyond: It's a leavening agent, an odor neutralizer, and an antacid to name a few. In the case of collard greens, baking soda's utility is threefold, serving as a flavor enhancer, a tenderizer, and a color protector.

Cut stems from leaves immediately before cooking. The smaller leaves tend to be more tender than larger ones. It is common to prepare collards using a slow cooked method to make them more tender. Cutting the leaves into smaller pieces will help speed up the cooking time.

Long cooking time.

Slowly cooking collard greens not only softens the tough leaves, it also tames the leaves' bitter flavor.

Braise Them

Many bitter greens such as collards, kale, and mustard greens can be very fibrous, and often braising these greens for a lengthy amount of time is essential to making them more tender. But braising has a secondary benefit too: It also helps with cutting down the bitterness.

Acids, like vinegar and citrus juice, help to brighten up bitter greens and provide a light contrasting flavor.

If you have added too much vinegar to a recipe, you can try adding a bit of sugar or honey to help balance the acidity. You could also try diluting the vinegar by adding more of the other ingredients in the recipe.