Your Cool Home is supported by its readers. Please assume all links are affiliate links. If you purchase something from one of our links, we make a small commission from Amazon. Thank you!
You can can collard greens in jars, and it’s one of the best ways to preserve a big harvest so you can enjoy them all year long.
When you can collard greens in jars, you’re basically packing cleaned and prepped greens into mason jars and processing them in a pressure canner to make them shelf-stable.
It sounds a little intimidating if you’ve never done it before, but once you get the hang of it, canning collard greens becomes second nature.
The key is to follow safe canning practices so your jars seal properly and the greens stay safe to eat for months.
In this post, we’ll walk through how to can collard greens in jars step by step, from picking the greens to pulling those beautiful sealed jars out of the canner.
Let’s get into it.
Why You Should Can Collard Greens in Jars
Canning collard greens in jars is worth the effort for a few really good reasons.
1. It Preserves a Big Harvest
Collard greens grow like crazy in the right conditions, and one plant can give you way more than you can eat fresh.
When you can collard greens in jars, you turn that overflow into jars of ready-to-cook greens that last for a year or more.
No more watching your hard work go to waste because you couldn’t eat it fast enough.
2. They’re Ready to Heat and Eat
Once you can collard greens in jars, they’re already washed, chopped, and cooked.
That means on a busy weeknight, you just open a jar, pour the greens into a pot, and warm them up.
No trimming, no washing, no long simmering sessions when you’re already tired.
3. You Control the Ingredients
When you can collard greens in jars at home, you decide what goes in them.
You can keep them plain with just salt, or add a little garlic, onion, or even a splash of vinegar for flavor.
Store-bought canned greens often come with way more sodium and preservatives than you’d ever add yourself.
How to Can Collard Greens in Jars Step by Step
Learning how to can collard greens in jars comes down to a few clear steps.
1. Gather Your Equipment
Before you start, make sure you have everything ready.
You’ll need a pressure canner, mason jars with lids and bands, a jar lifter, a bubble remover, and clean towels.
Collard greens are a low-acid food, so a water bath canner won’t cut it here.
You absolutely need a pressure canner to safely can collard greens in jars.
2. Prep and Cook the Greens
Wash your collard greens thoroughly to remove dirt and grit, then chop them into bite-sized pieces.
Blanch the greens in boiling water for about 3 minutes, then pack them loosely into your clean jars.
Add about half a teaspoon of salt per pint or one teaspoon per quart, if you like.
Then fill the jars with boiling water, leaving about one inch of headspace.
3. Remove Air Bubbles and Seal
Run your bubble remover around the inside of each jar to release trapped air.
Wipe the rims clean, then place your lids and bands on fingertip-tight.
This step matters because trapped air can mess with your seal when you can collard greens in jars.
4. Process in a Pressure Canner
Load your jars into the pressure canner and process pints for 70 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure.
Adjust the pressure if you’re at a higher altitude, since that changes the processing time needed.
Once the time is up, let the canner depressurize naturally before opening it.
5. Check the Seals and Store
After the jars cool for 12 to 24 hours, press down on each lid.
If it doesn’t pop back, that jar is sealed and good to go.
Any jars that didn’t seal should go straight into the fridge and get eaten within a few days.
Store your sealed jars in a cool, dark place, and they’ll last up to a year.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Canning Collard Greens in Jars
Even experienced canners slip up sometimes, so keep these in mind.
1. Skipping the Pressure Canner
Never try to can collard greens in jars using a water bath canner.
Low-acid foods like collards need the higher temperatures only a pressure canner can reach.
2. Packing Jars Too Tightly
Overpacking the jars keeps heat from circulating properly during processing.
Leave that inch of headspace and don’t cram the greens down.
3. Ignoring Altitude Adjustments
If you live above 1,000 feet, you’ll need to increase your pressure to can collard greens in jars safely.
Check your local guidelines so you don’t end up with under-processed jars.
So, Can You Can Collard Greens in Jars?
You can can collard greens in jars, and doing it right means you’ll have shelf-stable greens ready whenever you want them.
With a pressure canner, clean jars, and a little patience, canning collard greens in jars becomes a simple routine you’ll look forward to every harvest season.
Just remember to follow safe canning guidelines, adjust for your altitude, and always check those seals before storing.
Once you start canning collard greens in jars, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.