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Collards have been cultivated since
ancient times, where widely known throughout Africa, and might even
have been bought to America by the black slaves. Their popularity is
finally beginning to spread to others parts of the country, as they are
good for you, easy to grow, can withstand extreme heat and will survive
into the first cold months.
In the past, greens, especially collards, have been cooked to within an
inch of their lives – a long, slow boiling, usually with bacon, ham
bones or hock, or salt pork. A little experimenting has revealed that
they can, and should, be treated more like spinach. While the flavor is
more pronounced than spinach, it is not as strong as kale or mustard
greens. The larger, more mature leaves should be steamed or simply
wilted in the water that clings to the leaves after washing. Smaller,
more delicate leaves can be added raw to green salads for a delicious
taste, reminiscent of cabbage.
Home gardeners love collards. This types of greens grow on straight, tall stalks,
each leaf separate. Picking is done from the bottom of the stalk up and
can continue until the final hard frost kills the plant. In the fall,
and in some places right through Christmas, you can often see kitchen
gardens with tall stalks standing, plucked up to the final delicate
leaves that are being save for that last “mess” of fresh greens before
winter takes over.
Collards are low in calories and are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C,
and absorbable calcium.
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