What's The Best Way To Cook Canned Collard Greens?

Canned collard greens are kind of like canned spaghetti sauce. They'll never be as good as homemade slow-cooked versions, but if you add the right ingredients and "doctor them up" they can turn out pretty good in the end. Using canned greens will save you some time and effort, considering that between washing, chopping, and cooking collard greens until they're tender, it can take some time until they're ready to eat. And while those slow-cooked greens will always be superior, using the canned kind will cut that prep time down to a fraction without sacrificing too much of the taste.

So what's the best way to cook those pre-cooked collards? Basically, the same way that you would if you were cooking them from scratch. Some kind of smoked or cured meat should be on the top of the list of ingredients. Well-cooked hamhocks, smoked turkey neck or leg, pork shank, fat back, or bacon will all do. You'll definitely want some onion and garlic as well, though substituting onion powder or garlic powder for fresh makes prep even easier. From there the possibilities are endless. A little bit of table or seasoned salt, some pepper, a pinch of sugar, a drop of vinegar, and something spicy like cayenne or red pepper flakes will help level up the flavor of your canned greens. If you're vegetarian or just want to intensify the smoked flavor from the meat, a spoonful of smoked paprika does the trick.

Because those collard greens are coming from a can you might be tempted to warm them up in the microwave. While you can definitely do this, cooking them in a pan on the stovetop is the best way to infuse them with all of the flavorful ingredients you'll be adding. If you start with a little oil or butter the fat will help to carry the flavor of the other ingredients and will coat the collards once they're in the mix. You'll want to build the dish as you would with any good recipe, by sauteing each ingredient as you add it to bring out the most flavor — from the onion and garlic to any meat you might be using. 

If you're using bacon, fatback, or similar, you can start by cutting it into smaller pieces and cooking it on the stovetop along with the onions and, after a bit, add the garlic as well. No need to worry about draining the fat, it will help to flavor the greens. Once you've added the greens it's time for seasonings, but remember that some canned collards will be pre-seasoned, often including ingredients like sugar, smoke flavor, dried onions, red peppers or garlic, and a little vinegar. So check the label on your can to be sure you're getting the correct balance. Let the collard greens simmer for a while so they can absorb all of the flavors.

Canned collard greens make a delicious side dish, but they can be a great addition to a variety of recipes, from curries to soups and stews. You can simmer them in coconut milk with ginger or curry powder. Or you can add them to a hearty stew of beans and potatoes. 

Whether or not you drain the canned collard greens is up to personal preference and might depend on the dish you're making. Some people may like to drain off the liquid due to its sodium content, but that juice has a lot of the flavor from the greens in it. Just as you might reserve the water that you cooked greens in, it can be a good idea to keep about half of the liquid from the can to add to your pot. If you're making a soup or stew, you can use a combination of liquid from the can, water, or stock to add flavor and create a comforting brothy dish of greens. 

With the right add ons canned greens can be tastier than you might expect. Of course, this means doing a little more work than just opening the can, plopping them in a bowl, and tossing them in the microwave for a few minutes. But with a small amount of effort, you can achieve perfectly tender, flavorful, and satisfying collard greens.