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Spicy Southern-Style Greens

Source of Recipe

From "Beginner's Guide to Canning" by Diane Devereaux


Recipe Introduction

"Spicy greens are a delicious Southern treat to enjoy any time of the year. For a Southern-themed spread, serve alongside cornbread, black-eyed peas, and creamy mac and cheese. Add more red pepper flakes if you really like your greens hot and spicy or eliminate them altogether for a milder version."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 ounces bacon
â—¦ ½ cup finely chopped onion
â—¦ 12 cups chicken stock
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
â—¦ 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
â—¦ 14 pounds collard greens, untrimmed
â—¦ 4 pounds turnip greens, untrimmed


Recipe

This recipe is hot packed, so have clean jars resting in hot water. Slice the bacon into 1-inch strips, then place in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and mix well. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer.

Wash the greens thoroughly. Remove the stem and midrib from each leaf by holding the stem in one hand and tearing the leaf with the other. You may also stack the leaves and cut the stem and midrib out with a paring knife if that's easier. Working with 8 to 10 leaves at a time, stack the trimmed leaves, then roll and slice them into ½-inch-thick slices. Add the sliced greens to the pot and mix well. Remove from heat.

Place the hot jars on a cutting board. Using tongs, hot pack the greens tightly into each jar, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Using a funnel and slotted spoon, evenly disperse any remaining bits of meat and onion into the jars. Ladle enough of the hot stock over the greens to cover completely and keep the 1-inch headspace. Press down on the greens with the air bubble remover tool to remove any trapped air and to maintain the 1-inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand-tighten.

Fill the pressure canner with 3 quarts of water and add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar. Place the jars in the pressure canner, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. Close the vent and continue heating to achieve 11 PSI for a dial gauge and 10 PSI for a weighted gauge. Process quarts for 90 minutes and pints for 75 minutes.

After the processing time has been reached, turn off the heat. Allow the pressure in the canner to reach zero on its own, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Safely remove the canner lid and allow the jars to sit for 10 minutes inside the canner before removing.

Makes 4 quarts or 8 pints



• Try this instead:
For a more traditional Southern flair, swap out chicken stock for an equal amount of water and add 2 ham hocks. Bring them to a boil with all of the spices and let them simmer while cooking the bacon and preparing the greens. The salty meat will flavor your greens and provide additional protein. Be sure to discard the ham hocks before adding the greens to the stockpot.