How To Store Collard Greens: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Store Collard Greens PDF download Download Article 29 Recipe Ratings | Success Stories Reviewed by Jennifer Levasseur

Last Updated: February 24, 2025 Approved

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  • Storing Fresh Collard Greens
    • |
  • Storing Collard Greens in the Freezer
    • |
  • Q&A
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This article was reviewed by Jennifer Levasseur. Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 87% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 131,393 times.

Collard greens are a nutritious green, leafy vegetable that are related to cabbage, broccoli, and kale. Although most popular in the American South, collard greens can be found in many grocery stores across North America and beyond. Once you bring your collard greens home, you will need to store them properly, in order to guarantee that they remain fresh and delicious. This can be done in several ways, depending on when you plan on using them.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Storing Fresh Collard Greens

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  1. Step 1 Do not wash the collard greens. 1 Do not wash the collard greens. If you plan on using your collard greens within the next week, don't wash them before refrigeration. Introducing water to the greens can promote decay, cutting the length of their freshness down dramatically.
    • If you are concerned that your greens are too dirty to store in your refrigerator, know that they will be stored in an air-tight bag. Any dirt and grit will not get onto the surfaces in your fridge.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Store Collard Greens 2 Place the collard greens in an air-tight plastic bag. Most greens should be stored in plastic bags and collard greens are no exception. Put the greens in a big plastic bag, as the greens themselves are very large. Be sure to push out as much air as you can before sealing.[1]
    • Collard greens that are not put into a plastic bag, but are put into the refrigerator, will become wilted very quickly. Like other vegetables, uncovered collard greens get dehydrated. This causes them to go limp.
    • If you don't have a plastic bag that seals closed, wrap the greens in a damp paper towel. Then place the greens in an unsealed plastic bag. This should keep the greens crisp for several days.[2]
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  3. Step 3 Refrigerate the collard greens. 3 Refrigerate the collard greens. Put the bag of collard greens in the crisper of your refrigerator. Keep them there until you are ready to use them. They should be used within 5 to 7 days of storage.[3]
    • The amount of time your collard greens stay fresh will vary. It depends on the freshness of the collard greens to begin with and the quality of your refrigerator's chilling. Check on the collard greens daily to make sure that they are still suitable for eating.
    • Spoiled collard greens will get soft, wilt, become slimy, or get discolored. They may also start to smell bad.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Store Collard Greens 4 Wash before preparing. Once you have decided to use your greens, take them out of the fridge and wash them thoroughly. Collard greens are known to be relatively dirty and gritty. Take the time to soak the greens in fresh water and make sure that each leaf is clean.[4]
    • If you don't have a bowl or kitchen sink that can be used for cleaning the greens, wash each leaf under running water.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Storing Collard Greens in the Freezer

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  1. Step 1 Wash the collard greens. 1 Wash the collard greens. If you are going to store your collard greens in the freezer, you should wash them thoroughly before storage. Soak the leaves in a bowl or sink full of water or wash in running water. Make sure all grit and dirt is removed from the leaves before proceeding.[5]
    • Collard greens that are stored in the freezer are cooked slightly and will have a softer consistency when defrosted. This would make washing once defrosted impossible.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Store Collard Greens 2 Cut up the collard greens. Separate the stems from the leaves. This will allow you to cut the stems into smaller pieces that will cook faster. Cut the leaf portion into whatever shape you want. Many people like to cut them into strips.[6]
    • You could keep the collard green leaves whole but that would make them hard to handle when blanching and packaging them for the freezer.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Store Collard Greens 3 Blanch the collard greens. Put the greens, stems and leaves, into boiling water for three minutes.[7] The goal is to cook the greens slightly, while keeping their bright green color and not cooking them completely.[8]
    • After the two minutes of cooking, put the greens straight into an ice water bath for a minute or two. This will stop the cooking immediately.
    • Blanching the vegetables will stop enzyme action that can cause decay. This causes loss of color and flavor.[9] Blanching also cleans the surface of the greens really well, assuring that all dirt and organisms are removed.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Store Collard Greens 4 Put the collard greens in an air-tight container in the freezer. Dry off any excess moisture and then put the blanched leaves into an air-tight container. This could be a plastic container or a freezer bag, whatever you have on hand.[10] Write the date on the package so you can track how long you have it. Then place the container into your freezer
    • The more air you can get out of the packaging, the better.
  5. Step 5 Use within 10 to 12 months. 5 Use within 10 to 12 months. Collard greens that are stored in the freezer can be used for a long time. They usually stay good for between 10 and 12 months, after which they should be thrown out.
    • Collard greens that have been defrosted and then refrozen several times will stay fresh for less time. This usually happens due to a faulty freezer. One sign that your collard greens may have undergone this freezing and defrosting is excessive freezer burn. However, all foods that are frozen for long enough will develop freezer burn eventually.[11]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question After storing fresh-cut collards in a zippered bag in the refrigerator for three days, they began to have an odor. They look fine and smell OK after washing. Should I still use them? Community Answer Community Answer Yes. Plants sometimes do start to smell, but if the collards were bought and refrigerated for only three days, they should be fine. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 12
  • Question Can I wash them 2 days before cooking? Connor Kelley Connor Kelley Community Answer Yes, as long as you dry them before storing in the refrigerator. I'd also recommend storing them with some paper towels to soak up any residual moisture. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 13
  • Question How long can cooked collard greens last? Community Answer Community Answer Cooked collard greens last up to a week when you keep them in the fridge. No more than 3 to 4 days is preferable. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 35
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.glad.com/food-storage/protection-pointers/how-to-store-collard-greens/
  2. ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/columns/in-season-now/article/collard-greens-in-season-in-november
  3. ↑ https://www.glad.com/food-storage/protection-pointers/how-to-store-collard-greens/
  4. ↑ https://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/southerngreens.html
  5. ↑ https://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/southerngreens.html
  6. ↑ https://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/southerngreens.html
  7. ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/blanching.html
  8. ↑ https://www.glad.com/food-storage/protection-pointers/how-to-store-collard-greens/
  9. ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/blanching.html
More References (2)
  1. ↑ https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/16951
  2. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/food-science-what-is-freezer-b-62927

About This Article

Jennifer Levasseur Reviewed by: Jennifer Levasseur Personal Chef This article was reviewed by Jennifer Levasseur. Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College. This article has been viewed 131,393 times. 29 votes - 87% Co-authors: 6 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 131,393 Categories: Fruits and Vegetables Article SummaryX

To store fresh collard greens, place the greens in an air-tight plastic bag without washing them first. Be sure to push out as much air as you can before sealing the bag! Next, place the bagged collard greens in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator and use them within 5 to 7 days. Don't forget to rinse the greens off thoroughly before you use them, since they tend to harbor a lot of dirt and grit. For tips on storing collard greens long-term in your freezer, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Terri Y.

    Terri Y.

    Nov 11, 2023

    "On the 7th day of purchasing organic collard greens, luckily most leaves were crispy, and a few yellowing. After..." more Rated this article:
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Jennifer Levasseur Reviewed by: Jennifer Levasseur Personal Chef Co-authors: 6 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 131,393 87% of voters found this recipe helpful. 29 votes - 87% Click a star to add your vote Terri Y.

Terri Y.

Nov 11, 2023

"On the 7th day of purchasing organic collard greens, luckily most leaves were crispy, and a few yellowing. After..." more Rated this article: Anonymous

Anonymous

Sep 15, 2017

"I just received a large quantity of collard greens. Some I will store in the freezer and some I will cook today...." more Susan Taylor

Susan Taylor

May 13, 2022

"Yes, this was very helpful and I will proceed with processing what I have growing, thanks." Rated this article: Don Waterbury

Don Waterbury

Jan 5, 2021

"I learned more on how to store collard greens. Thank you." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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