Allotments 4 All

Anyone ever grown Collards?  An American friend gave me some seeds three years ago and I've grown them every year since.  They grow well, don't seem to get club root and taste really nice.

The seeds are available here, from Chiltern.

http://tinyurl.com/cggoes

Is it an actual variety then? I thought it was ageneric name for loose spring greens..  :-\

Grew a loose cabbage from HSL called (?) Peter or Paddy which was very good.. once we realised waht it was...  :-[

Quote from: saddad on March 28, 2009, 19:38:51
Is it an actual variety then? I thought it was ageneric name for loose spring greens..  :-\

Don't know about that, sorry.
The packet says 'Collards' and the variety is 'Georgia'. It is from www.burpee.com in the States.
My friend tells me that it is very popular in the Southern States.

I've see packs of them in the S'markets in N.C....'collard greens' ? Looked like spring cabbage....is the taste similar?

collards and spring cabbage taste very different. But how you prepare them makes all the difference.

Quote from: Hyacinth on March 28, 2009, 20:08:03
I've see packs of them in the S'markets in N.C....'collard greens' ? Looked like spring cabbage....is the taste similar?

My husband eats them Hyacinth, but he hasn't eaten spring cabbage so he can't compare the taste. Sorry.
But he says they are delicious.

Quote from: thegridgardener on March 28, 2009, 20:11:24
collards and spring cabbage taste very different. But how you prepare them makes all the difference.

How do you cook them?
I fry some onion in olive oil in a wok, then add the greens but no extra water and steam gently with the lid on.  Season to taste.

I shred them, steam them, drain them. THEN the cooking begins 8) Stir fry them in a wok in olive oil/chillies/garlic & squeeze lemon over them. It's my standard way of cooking...well...most green things, actually :-[ ;D

I'm just a novice, but my book tells me collards are simply spring cabbages before they grow hearts and go pointed. There are scores of varieties to choose from.

Quote from: Bjerreby on March 29, 2009, 06:20:34
I'm just a novice, but my book tells me collards are simply spring cabbages before they grow hearts and go pointed. There are scores of varieties to choose from.

I have one plant still growing from last year.  It looks a bit like a sprout, with a tall central stem and the new leaves growing at the top.  It doesn't look as though it's going to produce a heart though.

Like that HSL cabbage I grew there are still a few non-hearting cabbages out there for use as collards. Not having read the cat. properly I waited all year for them to head up.. and of course they never did...  :-[