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Cooking Greens

Catherine Boeckmann
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Cooking greens can be tricky, but the benefits of eating them are great, including improved health and reduced risk of certain diseases. When cooked properly, they taste great too! Here are some tips:

  • You’ll need more greens per cooked serving than you might think: For example, a medium-size head of escarole (about 4 to 5 cups raw) will reduce to 3/4 cup once it is blanched, squeezed dry, and chopped.
  • Cook greens in an enameled or stainless steel pot so their acidity doesn’t react with the metal.
  • Refrigerate and keep greens unwashed until just before cooking; if they’re stored even slightly damp, they rot quickly.
  • To wash, fill a sink with lukewarm—not cold—water. (Soil washes off more easily with lukewarm water.) Dunk the leaves into the water until all the grit is removed, or rinse under a gentle stream of water that won’t bruise the tender leaves. Layer in paper towels in a salad spinner.
  • Remove the stems from older Swiss chard, spinach, kale, or beet greens: Fold over each leaf lengthwise with the underside facing you. Grasp the leaf with one hand and pull off the stem with the other hand.
  • Greens retain considerable water when they’re blanched. Let them cool, and then gently squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands.

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Healthy Foods
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

Donnalu (not verified)

9 years 7 months ago

How to keep greens from getting bitter when frying

Don Turtiak (not verified)

14 years 4 months ago

Microwaves were made for cooking greens; I do all of my veggies in the mikey. Rinse off the greens and shake off the excess water. The water that sticks to the leaves is enough for cooking. microwave on high in a covered microwave safe dish for two minutes at a time, stir between zaps. Cook to desired doneness remembering that the veggies will continue cook after the nuker shuts off.

Brightsoul (not verified)

14 years 5 months ago

I am growing my own turnips, and my turnips are everywere, the just recently started shining full force now., it was covered by dark grey clouds for weeks and moths. Now I have turnip greens and small turnips. I am eating them before hte bugs do. I pick them fresh, and rince off the dirt. Cut off the leaves and pinch off the green leaves put them in a larg pan with water to cover them and the turnips, let it get a rolling boil and turn it down, and cook till tender. I poor off the liquor, the jucie that is made from this combination into a glass jar, and set it a side to cool down, then I put it in the the fridge. I heat it up the next day to have with my lunch.
I cook other things for lunch and it is my boil water from the night before.
I put the cooked leaves on a thick paper plate, and put unsalted butter on top and eat the greens and the turnips. It is so good. Fresh right out of my own garden.
My tomatoes are growing now, I share this garden with other seniors, I hope no one takes any. I love tomatoes with fresh mozarella, it is so good. And tomatoes are so expensive. Even my little dog likes my turnip greens. We can only water 3 days a week so I have to out at night between times and bring water in big plastic bottls to water my tomatoes every day while the flowers are blooming so my tomato will start growing a bulb of the tomato I am going to have, We have a water shortage.
My turnips have Vitamine C in them I am so happy to eat something I grew myself.

I hate to sound like a stick in the mud, but if your area is having a water shortage and you're sneaking out at night to water, that's not only illegal, but it's also unfair to your neighbors and the greater good. The water restriction is for the ultimate benefit of everybody. That being said, water restrictions are meant for non-essential water usage such as watering lawns and washing your car. Watering a FOOD garden is not normally restricted as food is a necessity. You can check with your town to be sure.