Green leafy vegetables are literally among the healthiest foods a person can eat, but most people – including us – don’t eat enough of them. The problem with greens is they go bad quickly if you don’t eat them right away. That’s why we started canning our greens.
Before you get the wrong idea, it’s not like we’re sticking a head of lettuce in a jar and sealing it. That would be disgusting. We are, however, making delicious juices and salsas that have green, leafy vegetables in them.
The main thing that’s so important about greens is chlorophyl, not to be confused with chlorella. It’s a powerful antioxidant that can only be obtained from greens – it’s actually the pigment that gives them their green color. Yes, you can buy synthetic versions in pill form, but the benefits are not as great.
If you want to learn more about the health benefits of chlorophyll, check out these videos by Dr. Greger:
In addition to chlorophyll, green veggies also contain a slew of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. We really can’t emphasize enough how important it is to eat them regularly for optimal health.
Getting back to our solution for canning them… We came up with two recipes we’d like to share with you: one is a green juice that tastes a lot like many of the green juices sold in supermarkets, and the other is a green salsa. We swear these recipes are delicious, and you would never guess that either of them contain green leafy veggies, like broccoli, kale, and parsley.
Green Apple Power Juice (left) and Fiery Green Salsa Verde (right).
Green Apple Power Juice (Makes Approximately 2 Pints)
Ingredients
- 1 green apple
- 1 red apple
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 3 or 4 broccoli florets
- 1 thick slice of ginger root
- Squirt of fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp date sugar
- 3 cups water
Directions
Note: if you have a juicer, you can skip these steps.
- Chop all ingredients and add them to a food processor or blender.
- Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
- Pour contents into a strainer and drain the liquid into a large bowl.
- Pour the liquid into canning jars and can as you normally would.
Fiery Green Salsa Verde (Makes Approximately 1 – 2 pints)
- 10 tomatillos
- 3 jalapeños
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped white onion
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 1 broccoli crown
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- Dash of course sea salt and cracked pepper
Directions
Note: if you cannot handle spicy hot salsa, cut back on the jalapeños or substitute with green bell pepper. This salsa is hot!
- Roast jalapeños and tomatillos with skin on for 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly charred and softened.
- Remove skins from tomatillos and stems from jalapeños.
- Chop all ingredients and add to a food processor. Pulse on high several times until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
- Scoop salsa into canning jars and can as you normally would.