Son and his family coming over for supper today. Was able to get some fresh collard greens. Put them in the crockpot this morning to slow cook. Added some sweet onions, chopped thick sliced bacon, a little salt and pepper and some sugar. Meat loaf made and ready to go in oven and potatoes.

If you like collards, how do you cook them. A southern delicacy!

Never cared for collards. Born and raised in the south but never like them things. I knew someone had to LOL enjoy

I was right there with you until you got to the sugar...BARF!

I like all of the greens, Kale, Collards & Portugese cabbage (not a lot of difference there), Mustard, Turnip, etc. I actually like turnip greens the best but I read where they actually have the least nutritional value, with kale the highest.

All are best with some sort of smoked meat. I've even used smoked fish. I thought that was good too. Smoked ham hocks is probably the best. NO SUGAR!

Had collards in a small town SC restaurant years ago. Best I have ever eaten. Asked the waitress what made them taste so good. A little sugar! Been putting it in ever since.

Meat loaf collards and taters! I'm with ya there
Making a good meatloaf is a dying art. As are the next day cold meatloaf sammiches on white bread with mayo and ketchup

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Forum consigliere

My mother fried collards, they were good. Fried the bacon, added onions, fried a little longer then added collards and cooked longer. A few more ingredients, she’s passed now so don’t know but I do remember her adding a pinch or two of sugar.

I get told repeatedly that I cook them wrong, but we enjoy collards regularly.

Mix 2 tbs white vinegar with 1 tbs sugar and set aside. Cook two pieces of diced bacon in a heavy pot (sometimes, I just use bacon grease) and set aside retaining the grease in the pot. Strip the leaves from the center stem and rinse well (collards can hold a lot of dirt, but store bought bunched these days are usually pretty clean). Add collards, bacon, and vinegar mix to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on, stirring occasionally.

The collards will change color. When they are wilted down and a uniform olive drab, they are done (about 10 min.).

I still like them slow cooked as well, but the wife won't touch them since her time with Army chow halls.

Never tried vinegar but will nect time.

I love collards, but I’m no cook. I do like them with a little sugar, and not overly salty.

Everything is better with a Ham Hock! and I'm with you on the no sugar,, I like mayonaise on my "Southern Potato Salad",, no Miracle Whip...

Actually the first word in Webster's ahead of Ham Hock is Pinto Beans, as in "Pinto Beans and Ham Hocks"! My Mom used to try to founder us with Pinto Beans and Ham Hocks, Pork Chops, Fried Potatos, Cole Slaw (with Mayo), and Buttermilk Cornbread, my Mom and Dad both added some sliced onion as an accouterment...

and yes, I know pinto bean is two words, but talk about comfort food,, its a wonder I don't weigh 500 pounds

I hope my wife doesn't see this, (she is a good cook, and does still cook for me, lol), I'm not sure why... but now that my Mom is gone,, I really wish I could have another one of her meat loafs,, lol.

Oh, and don't even get me started on my Granny! That woman was Rembrandt in the kitchen,, probably honestly the 5th or 6th wonder of the world!

Collards get sweet Naturally after a Frost hits them, no need for sugar.

No mustad greens, collard, kale or whatever greens for this boy, but I would cut your heart out for some small tasty dandelions for the salad.

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

We cook ours in a pot of water with a big chunk of smoked shoulder for seasoning. Add salt to your taste and cook until tender. One of my all favorites. Greyman50, if you pick them before the first frost you can just stick them in the freezer for a while and it works just as well.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

Love me some collards in any reasonable configuration. When I do 'em I use a crockpot with water, salt, a little vinegar and either bacon or a chunk of pork. It's all good...

Mom was a greens whisperer. Fortunately for me my eldest has become one.

I enjoy them as my dad did...splashed with vinegar and hot sauce accompanied by fried taters.

The gold at the end of the rainbow is corn bread submerged in pot likker.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I'm with you as long as it isn't JiffyMix style sweet cornbread. No wheat flower either. Butter, corn meal, buttermilk, egg and salt. And on some occasions some fresh jalapeno. Save some buttermilk to drink with the cornbread. This talk of pinto beans, greens and cornbread is making me hungry.

My dad and FIL were addicted to buttermilk and skillet cornbread. Over the years I have tried my level best to like it. It doesn't pass the sniff test for me.

Kudos to all who derive pleasure from it.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I slow cook mine in chicken broth. I add chopped onions, sausage chunks (venison right now) chopped pork, and hot sauce and/or Cajun seasoning. I gotta have some corn bread with just enough sugar so it doesn't taste like cake. I grow my own and they are never frozen. I checked them this morning and it looks like I'll be having some next week. If you ever get constipated collards will blow you out and make you feel right again.

I love collards, get them at the local Winco . Need some greens in my meal every day with some starch and meat.
Still alive at 82, maybe not for long as I drink and smoke.

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Tried em 3x cooked by “professionals”…meh, no thanks.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

A big pan of jalapeno cornbread and pot likker is always a must have.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625

Some of us Yanks like Collards too.

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No baby we aint

I use any fresh greens in my frittatas, but I like Collard Greens and Mustard Greens best. A little sour cream on the side to top it off.

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paws for friendship

Yep, a steaming cup of pot likker is just one of the perks when you're fixin' them collards.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

Collards aren't the only things better after a frost hits them. Collards are ok but Kale is great after a couple frosty mornings with either a ham hock or some cut up Side Mear(bacon that ain't been sliced). And if ya have a persimmon tree around and get to 'em before the possums do after a couple frosts...they are good and sweet. One other tasty treat was Red Beans and Rice cooked with a smoked ham hock or smoked pork neck bones. An old black lady used to take care of my sister and me taught my mother to make 'em...Great eating...but not as good as that black lady's. She really knew how to fry chicken too...Great fried chicken is real hard to find. No place fries in lard anymore

Pot luck dinners at work,all had greens brought in by black ladies. I didn't care what else was there I wanted those greens.

When I was a kid and my 80+ year old grand mother got sick she would make a pot of collards. She would eat some of it and then get a mug of pot likker, add a shot of whiskey (sometimes moonshine) and some locally produced honey. After a few of these she was feeling better. She claimed her concoction would cure anything. Maybe she was right, she made it to 93.

"Collards in the Crockpot" sounds like a square dance tune.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

We don’t see a lot of collards in Minnesota, except as a side for BBQ. I’m not satisfied with a dinky little side dish cuo, so I get them in some quantity, a pint or preferably a quart. Don’t like collards, get you a little side of mac ‘n cheese or something.

I found some frozen collards in a grocery the other day so I grabbed a bag. I will be revisiting this thread for tips.

The other thing we don’t see much around here any more is okra. I found a big bag of okra the other day. I have plans for them tonight. Will serve them with some potstickers, Asian fried pork dumplings.

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Not in jail.

Try this on the okra: Chop into half inch pieces. Roll them in fish batter. Put enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a skillet, I prefer cast iron, but others will work. Saute the okra at about 350*. Keep stirring until they are almost burned and very crispy. Don't let them get black. Put the finished product on paper towels to soak up excess oil and add some salt. I was cooking this a few days ago and my grand daughter was eating it faster than I could cook it.

Cooked a pot of frozen collards and turnip greens today. Couple pork neck bones boiled for about 3 hours, about 2 table spoons salt added greens and cooked for 2 more hours to boil out most water. Very good but not as good as fresh greens. Large section of ribs in crock pot about ready to take out. Good eats tomorrow.