Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: How to Find Collard greens
• Part 2 of 3: How to evaluate the quality of a vegetable
• Part 3 of 3: How to properly store and cook kale

Collard greens, like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale, are highly nutritious vegetables. It has been eaten for hundreds of years, and cabbage is most often found in Russian cuisine. This vegetable can be found in most stores, but in the northern regions of the country, finding can be difficult. The key to a successful search for kale will be accurate information about how it looks and where it is best to look for it, and the ability to identify a high-quality and fresh product.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: How to Find Collard greens

1. 1 Find a cabbage. You won't be able to find a vegetable if you don't know what to look for. Its leaves are large, at least 25-30 centimeters long, and are oval and flat. Compared to kale, the leaves are wider and the stems are thicker.
   • Examine the price tags or tags that hold the bundles together if you are not familiar with the range of items that are on sale in your chosen store. You can also check the necessary information with the sellers.
2. 2 Examine carefully the specialized department of the store. Most grocery stores sell greens all the time, along with other vegetables such as kale and beets. These foods are kept cool to keep them fresh.
   • The freshest collard greens are available in winter and early spring. The price at this time of the year will be the lowest.
3. 3 Go to a specialty store. If greens are not available at a regular grocery store, you will have to go to a specialized one. In vegetable stores, you are guaranteed to be able to buy collard greens, as it occupies an important place in the food culture of the inhabitants of our country.
   • Collard greens are also found in other crops. It is added to dishes all over the world, from Ethiopia to Portugal, so you can find this vegetable in many specialty stores.

Part 2 of 3: How to evaluate the quality of a vegetable

1. 1 Look for dark green leaves. The foliage should be very dark green in color. At the same time, the stem of the leaf and the veins are colored not so clearly.
   • The leaves may have a wax-like layer that naturally repels insects.
2. 2 Look for greens that hold their shape well. Fresh herbs are crispy and firm to the touch. In this case, the vegetable is considered to be relatively fresh and properly stored in the store and during transport.
   • Take the greens in your hands and squeeze lightly. It should remain firm and crispy.
3. 3 Look for dark and yellow spots. If the foliage is faded, the collard greens are not fresh. The taste of such a vegetable will spoil the finished dish, even if you plan to cook it.
   • In a bunch of greenery, there may be one or two leaves with minor damage, which led to their discoloration. Also on cabbage there are damage in the form of holes left by hungry beetles.You can safely buy cabbage if most of the leaves in the bunch look presentable.

Part 3 of 3: How to properly store and cook kale

1. 1 Keep your greens fresh. It is better to store greens after purchase in a plastic bag and in the refrigerator. The bag retains moisture and therefore the vegetables remain fresh and firm.
   • Do not wash herbs before placing them in the refrigerator. This contributes to its rapid fading.
2. 2 Wash the herbs thoroughly. The harvested collard greens are usually very dirty and dusty. Therefore, before proceeding directly to cooking, it must be thoroughly washed. Fill your kitchen sink with water and rinse the leaves vigorously to remove dirt and dust.
   • Pay attention to each individual sheet. Make sure you wash all the greens thoroughly, otherwise the dirt will end up in the cooked dish.
3. 3 Prepare collard greens. The process takes quite a long time, and some recipes take more than two hours of time, during which time the cabbage becomes soft and juicy, absorbing the flavor of the meat. The process takes quite a long time, and some recipes take more than two hours of time, during which time the cabbage becomes soft and juicy, absorbing the flavor of the meat.
   • Before preparing the greens, you need to cut them into small pieces. Cut off the stems from the center of the leaf. Then roll up the remaining pieces and cut into strips three centimeters wide.
   • There are many other ways to prepare greens. Use kale if you want to experiment with recipes that include herbs and kale or kale.