Collard Greens

Collards are at their best in the coldest part of the year: a hard frost converts starch to sugar and takes the sharp edge off the leaf, so mid-winter cutting is sweeter than fall cutting. We cut the lower leaves and let the plants keep producing, which means tender, full-size leaves rather than tough old growth. Wash well, strip the thick midribs, and store loosely wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week. Sold fresh through local Alabama delivery, farm pickup, and our farmers-market stand.

• Grown in: Lineville, Alabama (no synthetic pesticides)
• Freshness: Harvested at peak and sold fresh
• Availability: Seasonal - local Alabama delivery & pickup
• Storage: Refrigerate and enjoy fresh
• Why it's good: Nutrient-dense and picked at peak freshness

• Storage: Loosely wrapped in the refrigerator, unwashed
• Shelf life: Up to a week; the leaves stay usable longer than most greens
• Washing: Wash thoroughly in a sink of cold water - collards grow low and hold grit. Strip the thick midribs out before cooking.
• Using: Slow-braised with something smoked and a splash of vinegar is the classic and still the best. Also good sliced thin and cooked fast, which keeps them bright and grassy.

Does frost really make them sweeter?
Yes, and measurably. Cold triggers the plant to convert stored starch into sugar as antifreeze, so leaves cut in the coldest weeks taste noticeably sweeter and less sharp than the same plant in autumn.

Do I have to cook them for hours?
No. Long braising is traditional and delicious, but collards sliced into thin ribbons cook in about eight minutes and taste completely different - greener and more peppery. Both are correct.

What do I do with the midribs?
They are too fibrous to eat with the leaf, but they are not waste - chop them fine and start them in the pot a few minutes early, or save them for a stock.