Pickled Greens

I must give The Chef and The Farmer credit for showing on her PBS program the use of stems of the broccoli, collards, and the mustard greens by removing the thick ribs from the greenery and cutting the stems up into bite size pieces and pickling them.

It's good timing because I am out of water melon rind pickles and I don't like eating the cooked greens without pickles.  Hm!  I am also just about out of jars--I have to get out of the kitchen!


At dawn's early light, I headed out to the garden and picked collard cabbage greens as well as a handful of mustard greens to add to the broccoli stems I cut up yesterday.  I still find it easier to blanch the greenery, let 'em cool under running water, bag and label, and put the bag(s) into the freezer.

To prepare the broccoli stems for pickling, I cut off most of the outer layer of the stems and cut them into pieces and set them aside while I prepared the brine.

Brine:  Bring  the following to a boil:  1 cup of water, 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs sea salt or Kosher salt, garlic cloves, and finely diced red onions.  I even added an orange Bell pepper for color.

Spice and Herbs:  About six garlic cloves, sliced or smashed, 2 tbs mustard seeds, 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and a couple of whole Bay leaves.  How about a few pepper corns too?  I added a few sprigs of dill from my herb garden too.  What else?  Try fresh cut up pine apple pieces!

Direction:  When the brine has come to a boil, add the vegetable stems and the spice/herbs.  Let it boil/simmer for about 5 minutes and then remove from the heat, put a lid on the pot, and let the goodies steep. Fill jars with the stems (and fresh cut up pine apple), pour the hot/warn brine over the stems and put the screw tops on.  Hold on now!

Water Bath: To be sure that the pickles will last over the winter and long into the spring, play it is safe by giving the jars with the vegetables in it a water bath.  I use my large stockpot filled with water about an inch over the jar tops.  I usually put a small cloth on the bottom to keep the jars from rattling.  I let it simmer for about 10 minutes and cool in the pot.

Pickling the greenery:  I never thought about pickling the greenery but why not.  After the stems have been removed, roll up the collard cabbage like a big fat cigar and thinly slice.  Cook the greens for about 5 minutes.  Drain.  Put in jars and give them a bath.

Go Green!

A Gardeners Work is Never Done.

Thank you for visiting.  Come again.