The brining method that Nana uses to remove bitterness from broccoli is also good for greens but has its own process. If it were up to Nana, she’d eat greens year-round, and she’s always trying to convince us to do the same. Maybe with brining and eating them in the fall when they’ve not bolted, she’ll convince even the worst bitter critics that we’re big fans of greens also. When Nana eats her greens, she loves hot pepper jam on top, but it may be good with cowboy candy as well?
Ingredients
Brine
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup salt
- 3 pounds mixed greens (curly leaf, mustard, turnip)
Cooked Greens
- 4 slices bacon chopped, or 1 cup leftover ham and juices
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ to ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
Instructions
Brine
- Make a brine by bringing 4 cups of the 1 gallon of water to a boil. (You want to leave some water at room temperature to prevent the greens from wilting.)
- Add the 1 cup of salt to the boiling water and heat until the salt is dissolved.
- Add salt water back to the remaining room temperature water (from the gallon measured out earlier) to make the brine.
- Add greens to brine and let it soak for 1 to 2 hours. (You may have to press the leaves into the water, because they’ll want to float.)
Cooked Greens
- Sauté bacon or ham in a large pot.
- Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Drain brine from the greens and rinse with clean water to prevent oversalting.
- Add greens to the chicken broth and stir until they are wilted. (This may take about 30 seconds to a minute.)
- Add granulated garlic, granulated onion, pepper, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
- Simmer until greens are tender and change color, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add salt to taste.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Psalm 34:8
