How To Preserve Collard Greens And Their Vitamins!

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Explore How to Preserve Collard Greens in this simple step-by-step guide, including instructions on dehydrating, canning, and freezing methods. With extra tips to maintain the flavor, nutrition, and texture of your collard greens along the way!

Large, dark green collard green leaves are displayed on a rustic wooden surface in the top section and shown in a close-up pile below. Text at the bottom reads blessthismessplease.com—perfect for learning how to preserve collard greens.

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Collard Greens

While collard greens aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that they’re a nutritional powerhouse. Packed with vitamins and minerals, that distinct earthy, peppery flavor makes them a staple in kitchens all around the world!

Whether you’ve harvested it from your garden, found a great deal at the market, or simply want to meal prep for weeks ahead, learning how to properly preserve collard greens ensures you’ll never waste these valuable leafy greens again.

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Collard Greens
When To Harvest Collard Greens
How To Store Collard Greens
Dehydrating Collard Greens
How to Can Collard Greens
How to Freeze Collard Greens
Expert Tips
More Tips For Preserving The Harvest

When To Harvest Collard Greens

Harvest by cutting the entire plant or cut the bottom leaves periodically, leaving the central growing point to produce more leaves.

How To Store Collard Greens

Fresh collard greens should be stored in the refrigerator.

Dehydrating Collard Greens

CUT: Select young, tender leaves. Wash. Cut large leaves crosswise into several pieces.
DIPPING: Water or steam blanch until wilted
DEHYDRATOR: 10-16 hours
APPEARANCE WHEN DRY: dry; brittle

How to Can Collard Greens

QUANTITY: In this guide, I recommend working with 10-11 pounds of greens, depending on if you’re using a dial gauge canner, or a weighted gauge canner, respectively.

PREPARING GREENS

Wash your greens thoroughly in several changes of water, and make sure to cut out tough stems and midribs.

CANNING COLLARD GREENS

Blanch 1 pound of greens at a time, until well wilted (about 3-5 minutes).
Pack hot greens loosely into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Add salt to jars (1⁄4 teaspoon for pints, 1⁄2 teaspoon for quarts), if desired.
Fill jars to 1 inch from top with boiling water.
Remove air bubbles.
Wipe jar rims, adjust lids, and process.

A chart comparing dial gauge and weighted gauge pressure canners for how to preserve collard greens. Both need 70 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts; dial gauge uses 11 pounds, weighted gauge uses 10 pounds.

How to Freeze Collard Greens

PREPARING GREENS

Select young, tender green leaves.
Wash thoroughly and cut off woody stems.

FREEZING

Water blanch collards 3 minutes.
Cool, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Seal and freeze.

🍎🫙 Get a free Preserving Guide for all the details to dehydrate, can, and freeze 42 fruits and vegetables — get the FREE GUIDE here!

Expert Tips

Storage Time: Frozen collard greens maintain their quality for 10-12 months, dehydrated greens last 1-2 years when stored in airtight containers, and properly canned collard greens are safe for 2-3 years.
Keeping Nutritional Value: Blanching before you freeze helps preserve more nutrients than raw freezing, but as a whole retains about 80-90% of vitamins, while dehydrating concentrates nutrients but may reduce some heat-sensitive vitamins.
Blanching for the Best: Blanching is essential for freezing collard greens! Blanch cleaned, chopped greens in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, then immediately transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process. This preserves color, texture, and prevents enzyme activity that causes deterioration!