Collard Greens

The Collard plant is a loose-leafed dark green cabbage, grown in the southern parts of the United States of America and not often eaten anywhere else.

The Latin name for the variety, acephala, means "without a head", referring to the fact that this kind of cabbage does not have the normally defining close-knit core of leaves.

Together with any other loose-leafed green leaves (kale, turnip greens, spinach and mustard) they form the basis for the traditional southern 'soul food' dish 'collard greens'.

The leafy greens are available year-round, but their traditional 'season' is the winter.

Many people believe that their taste is richer and that they are more nutritious after the first frosts.

When buying collard make sure to choose dark green leaves with no wilting or yellowness.

Collard can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days, but once it is cooked it can be frozen indefinitely and added to other dishes as desired.