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Wilting greens
Beginner Vegetables, grains and beans
Wilting greens is cooking leafy greens briefly with heat so they soften and shrink down.
Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
How do you do it?
1Wash the greens and leave some water clinging to the leaves.
2Heat a little oil in a large pan over medium, add garlic if you like, then the greens.
3Toss with tongs for 1-3 minutes until just collapsed and bright green; tougher greens like chard need longer.
4Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon right before serving.
Why does it work?
Heat breaks down the cell walls in the leaves, letting water escape so they go limp and shrink a lot. A pile of raw spinach cooks down to a fraction of its size.
What are the common mistakes?
- Starting with too little — a full pan of raw greens makes one small serving.
- Overcooking — greens turn dull olive and slimy.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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