Don't Be Bitter About Bitter Greens — Here Are the Best Ways To Cut the Bitterness (2024)

Just a spoon full of vinegar (and other stuff) helps the bitterness go down.

ByPaul O. Mims

Published on October 17, 2022

You are probably thinking, "aren't all vegetables bitter?" and you would be absolutely right. However, bitter greens come out on top. These intense greens have the innate ability to season a salad, a pasta dish, or a soup without adding any spices. However, the intensity is not for the faint of heart, putting off some who simply find the flavor to be too much. The good news is the bitterness can be tamed with the right ingredients and cooking techniques.

What are Bitter Greens?

Bitter greens are leafy greens or vegetables that have an intense bitter flavor profile. They include kale, mustard greens, collards, turnip greens, broccoli rabe, radicchio, chicory, and endive. The bitterness comes from chemical compounds called glucosinolates that can be found in the Brassica family. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, these compounds have been known to have anti-cancer properties. Therefore, these greens' mere distinctive characteristic can be enticing to cooks, dietitians, and nutritionists alike, but a nightmare for consumers.

How to Make Bitter Greens Less Intense

Add Heat

Due to the big punch from bitter greens, they need a counterpart that can play them at their own game. Chile pepper is a great additive. Chile peppers are strong enough to counteract the bitterness of the greens. User DMarie's Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Parmesan recipe is a perfect example of how adding some heat can create a more cohesive dish. The spicy sausage and the red pepper flakes not only tone down the bitterness, but also the volatile "earthy" flavor this family of vegetables gives off.

Braise Them

Ever heard of "potlikker" AKA "Pot Liquor"? It's the leftover liquid from braising collards. Yes, potlikker is very flavorful, but it results from a more practical approach. Many bitter greens such as collards, kale, and mustard greens can be very fibrous, and often braising these greens for a lengthy amount of time is essential to making them more tender. But braising has a secondary benefit too: It also helps with cutting down the bitterness.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

Add Vinaigrette, Emphasis on "Vinegar"

Acidity can really bring a pleasant flavor out of bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acidity to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.

Now that you have the right tools and knowledge of how to tame your bitter greens, it is time to set aside that Brassica vegetable phobia and spice up your life (pun intended).

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Don't Be Bitter About Bitter Greens — Here Are the Best Ways To Cut the Bitterness (2024)

FAQs

Don't Be Bitter About Bitter Greens — Here Are the Best Ways To Cut the Bitterness? ›

Add Vinaigrette, Emphasis on "Vinegar"

How to get rid of bitterness in greens? ›

The foods that help reduce bitterness are:
  1. Salt while cooking and/or while eating (like on bitter salad greens)
  2. Sweet or Spicy.
  3. Sour or Acids like lemon or vinegar.
  4. Long cooking like braising (think southern collard greens that are cooked for hours)
  5. Blanch first.
Jul 7, 2021

What is the best way to cut bitterness? ›

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal.

Does vinegar take the bitterness out of collard greens? ›

Collards may be a little bright and bitter, but rich ingredients like bacon and smoked ham will help cut through that. If it's still too strong, vinegar and sugar can cut the bitterness from collards, too. Can you overcook collards? Yes, like most vegetables, collards have a sweet spot in cooking.

How do you cook greens so they are not bitter? ›

Braise Them

Many bitter greens such as collards, kale, and mustard greens can be very fibrous, and often braising these greens for a lengthy amount of time is essential to making them more tender. But braising has a secondary benefit too: It also helps with cutting down the bitterness.

What spice takes away bitterness? ›

Spices mask bitter flavors, so don't be shy.

Add some spicy peppers or powders to your cooking, or sprinkle some onto your dishes for a little bit of extra heat. Black pepper can be a great option, along with cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.

What makes bitterness go away? ›

Bitterness tends to fade in the face of excitement and joy. In other words, new and better experiences. So put yourself out there. Explore a longtime interest, re-connect with others, choose some new things to put in place in your life.

What can I eat to get rid of bitter taste? ›

chewing sugar-free gum to keep saliva moving in the mouth. drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day. avoiding risk factors for acid reflux, such as eating greasy or spicy foods, and reducing or eliminating tobacco products and alcohol. rinsing the mouth with a teaspoon of baking soda added to a glass of water.

What absorbs bitter taste? ›

Adding a little sweetness will, of course, make bitter foods more palatable, so try adding a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar to a salad dressing. Also, adding a little olive oil and lemon juice to bitter greens, such as kale, helps to reduce bitterness.

How do you break bitter taste? ›

The Fix: Balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour. For naturally bitter foods such as kale, you can soften the flavor by add a lemony vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pomegranate seeds. You can also elevate kale by tossing it olive oil and salt, then roasting it in the oven until crispy.

What is the remedy for bitterness? ›

Remedy of Bitterness

The first and ultimate step towards curing your bitterness is to forgive your perceived “violator” and empower yourself to move on. When you forgive anyone who has wronged you in any way it enables you to forego any form of grudge and resentment you have towards them.

How to tone down bitter greens? ›

Use salt.

Salt is a friend to bitter greens, whether you plan to eat them raw or cooked. Mellow the bitter flavor with a sprinkle of salt on endive or radicchio, or include anchovies or cured meat (like bacon, pancetta, or proscuitto) along with mustard, beet, or collard greens.

What does baking soda do to collard greens? ›

In the case of collard greens, baking soda's utility is threefold, serving as a flavor enhancer, a tenderizer, and a color protector. Baking soda is an alkali salt possessing the tenderizing and flavor-enhancing properties of regular salt.

What do you soak collard greens in? ›

Prepare the collard greens bath by filling your kitchen sink with cool water and adding vinegar and salt. Place the collard greens into the prepared water bath and swish them around several times, scrubbing them to help loosen up any dirt. Let the collard greens soak for 15-20 minutes, giving them a scrub midway.

Why do greens taste bitter to me? ›

Researchers have discovered that the reason for this could be genetic. People who have a particular gene find certain vegetables unbearably bitter. It also affects the way that dark chocolate and coffee tastes to them, as well as beer. The gene in question is called TAS2R38 (which stands for taste receptor 2 member 38) ...

How do you take the bitterness out of vegetables? ›

Adding a little sweetness will, of course, make bitter foods more palatable, so try adding a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar to a salad dressing. Also, adding a little olive oil and lemon juice to bitter greens, such as kale, helps to reduce bitterness.

Why are my garden greens bitter? ›

Heat is the first culprit when it comes to bitterness as temperature change causes the lettuce to want to start to seed which is characterised by a plant with hard inner leaves. To avoid heat stress plant your lettuces in a semi-shaded spot in your garden.

How do you make green juice less bitter? ›

Sure, you can add pineapple, agave nectar, or other sweet ingredients to cover up the bitterness of greens. But if you're looking for an easy, less sugary way to balance the flavor, add lemon or lime. The acidity really neutralizes the bitterness, plus it tastes refreshing!

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