Collards are a northern hardy vegetable that is most popular in the American south for cultural reasons/culinary tradition. However, many people who live in northern states but whose families were originally from the south eat them as well -- here in Michigan, many families moved here after WWII to work in the auto plants from places like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, and they brought their culinary traditions with them.

I only grew and started using them 2 years ago. Basically, kale and collards are the same thing, with the exception of leaf shape -- a toothed or frilled leaf by convention is called a kale, a flat smooth leaf is a collard.

It tastes pretty much the same as kale, IMO. The reason I like collard greens is because the large, flat leaf is easy to use to make stuffed cabbage rolls -- none of the blanching and unwrapping from the cabbage head. The flavor is very strong and somewhat unpleasant during the warm months, and mellows considerably in the fall with frost.

I haven't seen much difference between the varieties I've grown -- Vates, Morris Heading, Georgia. They're all pretty similar.

I'm sure there are mail order sources in Canada for the seeds, but it's a fairly common vegetable, so I would think you should be able to find the seeds on a seed rack at a local garden center.

On Vancouver Island, they would be an ideal crop -- they would overwinter without any issues, so you should be able to have a harvest off of them from autumn through the springtime, when the plants would bolt to seed.

Thanks denn, so like brussel sprouts they're better after a touch of frost. I saw your post about using them for cabbage rolls, that's what peaked my interest. I did a quick search, Seeds of Diversity lists Beira Tronchuda, Champion, Flash, Georgia Southern/Creole, Groniger Blue, Hi-Crop, Top Bunch and Vates as varieties sold in Canada but it seems no-one is offering collards in their seed directory. Any opinions which of the above varieties would be best to try for a first time grow.

Annette

I don't think of them as a northern crop at all, but a Southern fall/winter vegetable. They don't do well when grown as a summer green.

They certainly CAN be grown in the north, and surely in BC. Their popularity has been spreading, and you may set a trend in your area!

It took me several years to develop a 'taste' for collards, by the way. I had a strictly northern feed preference before moving to the south many years ago. Collards took some getting used to, for me. I love them now. I don't grow them myself (they take up a lot of room) but head for the farmers' market after frosty temperatures hit the area.

Actually collards are just a non-heading cabbage and don't take up any more room than a cabbage. They do need freezing weather to alleviate some of the strong flavor. I would not compare them to a kale even the smooth leaf kales. Flash is fast and may be the easiest. Champion is open pollinated and an improved version of Vates also open pollinated. They are good for a making things like cabbage rolls, but mostly used as a winter boiling green like turnips greens but milder in flavor.
{{gwi:9859}} {{gwi:9860}} {{gwi:9862}} My favorite the Cabbage Collard {{gwi:9863}} {{gwi:9864}}

Thanks all, I'm thinking of planting for a fall/ winter crop so would July/August be a good time to sow seed or should I sow earlier?
I love brussel sprouts even before frost when they are slightly bitter, I refer to them as green candy :), I'm thinking I'll probably like collards too, anyways I'm going to give them a shot.

Annette

Yes, that is about the right time. In the mild climate of Vancouver Island it will do very well. Not my favorite green tastewise, but I eat it in large amounts due to its high nutrient content (it is possibly the most nutritious of common veggies) and cold hardiness. I picked two heads two nights ago from the hoophouse, in 22F weather, they were just above the temperature at which they become solid. Leaves touching the plastic were hard.

Collards are a perennial from Africa, said to be carried here by slaves, that only slaves & poor whites ate collards in the old south.
I like the leaf type, not the bush type that you can get in the store. I have had collard plant live though 4 winters & die in the 4th summer( probably not enough water). I picked my collards on Saturday 3th of July & had them for Sunday dinner on the 4th of July of 2010. We put up about 4 quarts also.
A friend in UK, said they call collards, "Leaf Cabbage".
I cut the seed stems off, after the bloom fall &compost them, just to get them out of the way of picking leaves. However, this past summer I lift them on until late June, when the stems are brown & the seed pods were opening.
I just poped/broke the stems off, when I did this, thousands of seeds fell into the collard bed.
In late July, I noticed that there was little two leaf seedling under the collards. The seedling that made it though the hot fall, looked better than the fall transplant I set out.
To my taste Kale (grew it last spring) is not as strong as collards, but what do I know I like poke weed leaves too.
I have been growing collards for 40 year.
I also grow Beets,Broccoli,Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots,Cauliflower,Lettuce,Mustard too.

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One other option for cooking collards: roll the leaves and julienne them, then add to some thin sliced onions you've softened up in some kind of oil (olive if you're good, bacon if you're not).

One of the reasons collards taste better after frost is that the plant converts root carbohydrates into sugar and pushes it up into the leaves as an anti-freeze. Another reason is that the plant uses tannin in the summer to protect itself from insects. When the weather is cool, there are fewer insects to defend against, therefore less tannin. Cooking collards with particles of meat (beef, fish, chicken, etc.) will allow the protein to temporarily bond with the tannin and neutralize the bitter taste. Collards and kale share a common ancestry, but according to the link below, 10 oz of collards contains 571 mg of calcium. Kale contains 386 mg of calcium and is not rated anywhere near as anti-inflamatory as collards. Obviously, I love collards and could prattle on forever. If you want to know more, my blog is below.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2412/2

Here is a link that might be useful: Self Sufficiency Crops

Thanks again everyone, I think I'll look for 'Flash' seeds Farmerdill said they are fast and easy, sounds like a good one for me to start with. Recipes of how to use them are very welcome, feel free to share :). I guessing you could also use them in 'Bubble and Squeek' instead of cabbage.

Annette

Everyone down here would have starved during the depression without greens. Collards need 45 minutes to cook, and are very good with corn bread. If you put them into the freezer after washing, and save up a "mess" they sweeten up, it seems.

aftermidnight, did you try westcoastseeds.com? I live on the mainland near the Fraser Valley and westcoast seeds is located in Delta I think it was.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll have a look when the seed racks come out. I see West Coast Seeds offer one called Champion.

Annette

Collards don't need 45 minutes to cook. The hearts steam in a couple of minutes. In fact, one of the problems with this beast is the wildly varying cooking times, from the tender hearts to the tough outer leaves. Still, even the outer leaves will steam in no more than 10 mins. Kale does not have that problem.

I first grew collards when I got them mislabeled as broccoli as small plants at a plant store. I almost didn't put them in the garden because I was just sure I wouldn't like them, I usually don't care for boiled or steamed greens. A friend from Georgia was adament that I would like them and gave me her recipe to cook them: Wash all leaves twice (I pondered this but was thankful when I noticed a cabbage worm floating during the second wash;). Then chop or slice into strips. Put into a large pot with 1 Tb sugar and some ham pieces or fried bacon crumbled. I also add just a tad of garlic powder and some finely chopped onion. Boil this until tender and drain. I top mine with a little butter and some vinegar....so delish. I've grown both Champion and the Georgia type with success. My family will eat collards but don't love them as much as I do. I usually make a big pot and freeze in single serve bags. Lori

Although collards may be recognized by some, as Southern (in the USA), they are enjoyed in many parts of the country outside of the deep South. They grow quite well here in Kansas and near where I live, there are several U-Pick operations. It is true that most folks around here prefer to pick them in the fall, especially after a mild frost. I've grown them in the summer and eaten them in the summer and find them to be most delicious. We use smoked hamhocks, garlic, onion and tabasco when we prepare ours. Others use smoked turkey wings to reduce fat. Where I live, collards were considered to be a part of the local African-American cuisine and the lower economic levels of the white community. Many people now, have embraced the great flavors of collard greens and mixed greens. Some people mix collards with mustard and turnip or other greens. Like some of you above, we like to freeze batches of them. I like the suggestion of using them as a wrap like cabbage leaves. We have a large Polish community here and I have made golumpki (cabbage rolls) before and I LOVE those things. As was said above, cabbage leaves are blanched before using for cabbage rolls so, it is interesting to note that one does not have to blanch a collard leaf for this purpose. A raw, Vegan restaurant here in Kansas City at one time served something like a collard taco which used a collard leaf that was stuffed with rice"meat" and fresh salsa and chopped lettuce. I would think the raw collard leaf would be a bit tough and strong, but people were downing them like they were going out of style.

Very true collards are catching on in other regions of the country. They became popular in the south because the early European varieties of heading cabbage did not head well in the south, plus they could be grown in the winter. As Burpee stated in his 1888 catalogue."Winter cabbage planted and seeded in the south will gradually assume the shape and habits of the collard" In those days when people tended to save their own seed collards became inevitable. Not important today, because we can grow the modern cabbage varieties. Collards are a tradition plus a pretty tasty green in its own right. Leaf cabbage is a very appropriate name. They are biennial.

I agree with jolj, that kale and collards aren't like at all to me. Kale is much milder in flavor and less robust in structure.

For my taste, it's not a mess of greens without Tabasco sauce, but vinegar will do in a pinch. Although it's a traditional recipe, I prefer it cooked without the hambone.

I'll definitely have to try it with a sprinkling of vinegar, I loved steamed cabbage with a pat of butter and sprinkled with vinegar.

Slightly off topic but being of english decent I like white vinegar sprinkled on poached eggs, no, not in the poaching water but sprinkled on the eggs before eating, also on a fried egg sandwich Yum!!! Try it you just might like it. Come to think of it I sprinkle vinegar on a lot of things.

I'm really looking forward to trying collards now after reading all the responses above, thanks again.

Annette

Just a little FYI on collards, I was feeding it to my dogs, when I noticed it had a very noticable effect on my old arthritic dog. When fed the collards she imediatley started moving better, more freely...it was pretty amazing. I could really tell a diff. when I didn't feed them to her. Did a little research and turns out that collards contain glucosamine as well as anti inlammatory properties...so if you have an old dog that's moving a little slow, you might try the greens ;-)

Betty

Thanks for the tip Betty, our little Cairn is getting on in years and starting to have trouble with stairs etc. It's a given she'll eat them especially if I put the dish down, call the cat and turn my back :).

Annette

aftermidnight - I'm on Vancouver Island too, and used to grow collards as a perennial. They were a workhorse year-round. I grew "Champion" because it was listed as better adapted to colder climates (compared to the southern US varieties).

I find them more delicious than kale, but tougher, so you cook it a bit longer. Used to braise them with fried onion and tomato. Hmmm, the juice/sauce is sooo tasty.

Here is a link that might be useful: West Coast Seeds

Collards are probably the main reason i even have a garden....We eat them several times a week... grandma used to steam them for 45+ minutes with salt pork, a ham bone or neck bones and fresh picked red hot peppers.... I do not eat pork so I usually slow cook mine as well but with smoked turkey parts, onions and a few dashes of crush red peppers.
Though I can cook spinach in 3 minutes flat, I like my collards cooked long & slow with very little water. My ex-Mother-in-law tends to make her more of a soup with a lot of water...

As a kid, one of my chores was to pick collards from the backyard garden and my grandma insisted all of the greens be picked before the leaves for to be too big.... Even, by chance, if we went to a local grocer to buy greens, it was nearly a sin to bring home greens with big leaves..... was said they get bitter and too tough to cook properly.

I am not fond of kale at all...I have an older neighbor who grows a lot of kale to sell at local farmer's market. He notes that his black customers seem to prefer collards while his white customers prefer kale....I tend to think its a more of a Northern/Southern thing since I literally live a few miles from the Mason-Dixon line.

my mother & grandma both like to mix Collards with Mustard or turnip greens... I'm not as fond of that but my kids seem to prefer a mix of all 3.

Collards tend to get gritty ( sandy) so I usually soak them overnight in vinegar before even attempting to further clean and cook them....that soaking also helps cut any potential bitterness the greens may have.

WOW!!! Alot of great info here on collards, makes me want to go out and try them again. I grew collards a few years back and they did great, but my mistake was the bigger the better and let the leaves get to big, so they were on the tough size and did take 45 min to cook. I had a neighbor stop by that year when i was just about to hack them down (they were almost 5' tall at the time) said if I left them til after the 1st frost she would buy them of me, so I did and she was true to her word, she came back every couple days and we got to be friends. Said if I ever start my garden back up (became ill and worked 2 jobs at the time making gardening difficult) she would resume buying any left over collards. After listening to you guys I may have to double my plantings this year just so she can have some...lol...keep the recipe ideas coming.

mom2fiveplantluva:
"....I like my collards cooked long & slow with very little water. My ex-Mother-in-law tends to make her more of a soup with a lot of water..."

The 'collard soup' sops deliciously w/cornbread..... :-)

Oh how I wish I had photos somewhere of my collard from a few years ago. It grew up to be 6' tall with enormous arm length leaves. Lasted two full years and I made all sorts of lovely dishes with it. I have not been able to get my collards that tall since :C