Freezing Collard Greens

If you grow your own collard greens, you may find yourself with an overabundance. Freezing collard greens is my preferred method of preserving them.

The collard greens are producing like crazy in the garden right now, and my family can only eat so much of them before they start complaining. I on the other hand could eat them all the time and have no problem. I love collards!

When there is an overabundance of greens, I like to preserve them. Freezing collard greens is super-fast and works great.

There are a few steps that you need to take to ensure the collards are preserved properly. Thankfully those steps as simple. Collard greens freeze very well and taste just fine when cooked after being frozen. The texture does slightly change when frozen, but they are still delicious so don't be afraid to freeze them.

How to Freeze Collard Greens

You will need:

Large pot of boiling water
Large bowl of ice water
Collander placed inside of the ice water bowl. This makes straining the collards much easier.
Freezer bags

First rinse the collards in cold water. Ensure that all dirt and bugs have been rinsed off. Also make sure that only the best quality greens are being used. Fresh is best. I like to preserve greens the day that I harvest them.

Cut the collards into your desired size and drop them into a pot of boiling water. Once all of the collards have been added to the pot and the water begins to boil again, cook the collards for 3 minutes.

After three minutes spoon out the collards and place them immediately into the ice water. Allow the collards to cool completely before removing them.

Once the collards are completely cooled remove them from the ice water and squeeze out as much water as you can. Portion and place the collards into freezer bags and seal, ensuring that you squeeze out as much air as possible.

Storing Collard Greens

Collards can be stored in the freezer for about 12 months when done properly. If you freeze them without blanching them first you will be left with mushy collards, and no one wants that.

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Cooking Collard Green After Freezing

Cook the collards the same way you always do. Since they handle freezing so well there is no need to change the way that you normally cook them. You can thaw them first or cook them from frozen. Check out my recipe for cooking Collard Greens!

Can You Freeze Collard Greens After Cooking?

Absolutely! You can freeze cooked collard greens in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6 months.

Can You Freeze Collard Greens without Blanching Them First?

You don't want to freeze collard greens without blanching them first. If frozen without blanching first, the collard greens will lose their fresh flavor and the texture will be off.