Can You Freeze Collard Greens?: Collard greens are vegetables that have large green leaves and tough stems. The tough stems are removed before eating, and the leafy parts that we eat are called “collard greens.” Collards are closely related to cabbage, kale, and mustard greens and can be consumed in multiple ways.
This article will guide you through the freezing, shelf life, and thawing of collard greens and provide answers to all your frequently asked questions.
- Can You Freeze Raw Collard Greens?
- Can Collard Greens Be Frozen After Cooking?
- Can You Freeze Collard Greens Without Blanching Them?
- How to Freeze Collard Greens?
- How Long Do Collard Greens Last?
- How to Thaw Frozen Collard Greens?
- How can you tell if raw collard greens are bad or spoiled?
- Are collard greens a Superfood?
- What are the benefits of eating collard greens?
- Can you eat collards every day?
- Are collard greens good for the heart?
Can You Freeze Raw Collard Greens?
Yes, you can freeze raw collard greens. This will save you from the intimidating task of boiling a whole lot of freshly bought collard greens before freezing them. This has the same shelf life as boiled collard greens.
Remember that while you can simply add frozen, boiled collard greens to any dish you are making, fresh collard greens that have been frozen need to be prepared differently. To make dishes using uncooked frozen collard greens, you will have to boil or steam the collard greens before adding any other ingredients. Through this, the collard greens will lose their toughness and become much more palatable, turning them back into a delicious source of vitamin C and other nutrients.
Can Collard Greens Be Frozen After Cooking?
Yes, collard greens are traditionally frozen after cooking. Collard greens are usually frozen in small bags that are ready to use and can be added to any dish where you may want to use them. Frozen collard greens that are cooked beforehand are entirely safe and delicious to eat, with many of the recipes that you may find requiring that the collard greens be frozen before you add them.
People prefer freezing-cooked collard greens because the boiling, steaming, or cooking process to make collard greens soft and edible can take several hours, and doing large batches at a time can be extremely time-consuming. Mostly boiled collard greens are frozen to extend their shelf life from a few days to several months. Interestingly, frozen collard greens do not lose any of their vitamins or nutrients, something that can happen to other frozen vegetables.
Can You Freeze Collard Greens Without Blanching Them?
No, you do not have to blanch your collard greens before freezing. Collard greens are perfectly happy being frozen as is. However, if you want to enjoy the full flavors of the greens while cooking them, it may be better to blanch them before freezing.
Blanching collard greens refers to the process of cooking them quickly in salted water. It draws out more flavor and colors in the collard greens than simply freezing them. Therefore, you may notice a difference in taste between blanched frozen collard greens and normal collard greens.
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How to Freeze Collard Greens?
If not stored properly, your greens might become a mushy mess in the freezer. So let’s look at some important steps to be followed to properly freeze collard greens:
- Pick the fresh collards: When picking out the collard greens, you want to freeze-select the ones with undamaged stems and no blemishes. This will prevent spoilage from spreading in the lot.
- Wash and chop: Wash your collard greens well under cold running water to remove any dirt, grit, and bugs that might be making their home in the leaves. Then chop or tear the leaves into manageable sizes. Small leaves should be fine to leave whole.
- Prepare for Blanching: You need to boil enough water to ensure it covers the greens you have. Also ensure that you have a bowl of ice water next to the stove. For this, you can either grab some water and pop ice cubes into it or pour a bowl of water and pop it into the fridge until it has cooled.
- Blanch: When the water starts boiling, plunge the collard greens into the water. Leave the greens in the water for three minutes. Then take the collard greens out of the water and plunge them into the ice water. Lastly, take the greens out and drain them. Let the greens dry as much as possible.
- Bag Up: After drying, pop the greens into freezer bags. If you prefer, you can divide them into small portions and put them in freezer bags.
- Seal, Label, and Freeze: Always remember to squeeze out as much air as possible from the bags. If you have a straw handy, you can seal the freezer bags almost all the way and then put the straw in to suck out all the air. When you are finished, seal the bags tightly and put a label on them with the date. Finally, pop the bags into the freezer to freeze.
How Long Do Collard Greens Last?
The shelf life of collard greens depends to a large extent on their storage conditions; for best results, keep raw collard greens refrigerated. To maximize the shelf life of raw collard greens, refrigerate in a plastic bag or airtight container and do not wash until ready to use. Properly stored, raw collard greens will last for 4–5 days in the fridge. Rightly stored, collard greens will maintain their best quality in the freezer for about 12 months but will remain safe beyond that time.
| Collard greens | Shelf life |
| In freezer | 12 months |
The maximum time for which you can preserve the collard greens is 12 months. But, this duration will get reduced if you are not following these rules:
- It’s best to store the collard greens at a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. You should not keep the collard greens in a normal refrigerator for a long period of time since the low temperature can destroy them.
- It’s not a good idea to use a regular bag or container because the moisture inside the freezer will promote the leaves’ spoilage at the time of defrosting. Therefore, you should always store the collard greens in freezer bags or airtight containers.
- Leaving the collard greens out in the open for too long will cause the leaves to lose the ice particles. Thus, the greens will lose their sturdiness and crunchiness over time.
How to Thaw Frozen Collard Greens?
Now that you know how to freeze collard greens, the next question must be how to thaw green collard. There are several methods for thawing frozen green collars, and which one you choose will depend on how quickly you need them to be ready. Remember, if the greens are not thawed the right way, they might get mushy and soggy, so it’s best to use the slowest method available for thawing out your collard greens.
Thawing At Room Temperature
When thawing collard greens at room temperature, you should place your frozen greens somewhere where they can thaw slowly, so that their texture won’t be damaged. Frozen greens can be slowly thawed at room temperature. You can also speed up the process by placing the frozen greens in a bowl of cold water.
This way, they’ll be ready in about an hour. If you’re planning on sautéing your collard greens, thaw the greens completely before adding them to the pan. This way, their flavor, and color will remain intact during cooking.
Thawing In The Fridge
Another popular method of thawing frozen collard greens is to place them in the refrigerator for about a day. Whichever method you choose, make sure to plan and use your frozen green collards as soon as possible so that they won’t go bad.
To become familiar with vegetables like tomatoes and freezing process of them refer to the articles like Can You Freeze Green Tomatoes and others.
FAQs on Collard Greens
1. How can you tell if raw collard greens are bad or spoiled?
The best way to check for spoilage is through smell and appearance. Check the raw collard greens: discard the ones that have an off smell or appearance; if mold appears, discard the raw collard greens.
2. Are collard greens a Superfood?
Collard greens’ long history in Southern cooking includes lots of saturated fats and sodium, but among health-conscious people, the vegetable has now earned a reputation as a superfood to include in your diet, especially when you are trying to shed excess pounds.
3. What are the benefits of eating collard greens?
These greens are nutrient-dense, high in fiber and antioxidants, and low in calories. Collard greens are an excellent source of calcium, folate, and vitamins K, C, and A. The researchers found that older adults who regularly consumed greens demonstrated better cognitive function.
4. Can you eat collards every day?
For some fantastic health benefits, you should include collard greens as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis. At a minimum, 3/4 cups of cruciferous vegetables are recommended daily.
5. Are collard greens good for the heart?
Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are popular for their wealth of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Similarly, they are a great source of vitamin K, which helps protect your arteries.
Conclusion
Many dishes instantly become a lot healthier if you add some collard greens to them. So freeze the greens and use them whenever you want to enjoy a meal without having to feel guilty about eating. If you love to explore food, using our guidelines will be a great way to start your kitchen innovation. Keep following our blogs like Can You Freeze Green Beans and some amazing articles on freezing vegetables.