Howdy you all, I"m from the North, and I have lots of fresh turnip greens in the garden, and I would like to flavor them when I cook them, been hearing about pot liquor, And also what is red eye gravy, and how do you make it? I bet hoot knows!!!!Love Irene

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), October 08, 2001

Answers

I always thought that pot liquor was the juice or broth from the cooking, for example the vegetable water from the greens.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), October 08, 2001.

Rebekkah is right. Pot liquor is the water which is left over when you boil the veggies. Many folks here in AL make cornbread to go along with it...yummy...

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), October 08, 2001.

Red eye gravy is easy. Cook some country cured bacon or ham in a cast iron skillet. After your done set the pan off the fire , stand back after its cooled a little and pour a cup of cold coffee in the grease and pan clingings and swish it with the spatula . When its done sizzlin and poppin' you got redeye gravy and the pan is clean of most all the clingings too. Some folks add a bit of honey to the coffee when its still hot to sweeten the gravy also.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 08, 2001.

Irene, cook your turnip greens with a little thick sliced bacon or salt pork that has been rinsed to remove the salt on the outside. A piece of salt pork about 1" X 2" is enough for a gallon pot of greens before they cook down. Also add about a teaspoon of sugar, and salt to taste. Fill the pot about half full of water. Let the greens cook until they are starting to come apart some when you stir them. That makes good pot likker. Some folks also add in young, tender turnips, peeled and coarsely chopped, but I don't.

You also cook dried black-eyed peas the same way, if you want to try them.

Good luck, and welcome to the South.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.

I thought (this comes from my mother, whose family was from Virginia) that pot liquor was the water that a Smithsfield-type ham was boiled in. That stuff is like gold! A scant tablespoon added to the water to cook green beans (and no salt!) was the best!

-- Jaums (abip@olg.com), January 02, 2002.

Howdy. For us Southern, us'-to-be tykes circa the 50's from east TN, Jones Bottom to be exact, pot liquor was all about the residual juice from the boiled cabbage. Take a soup bowl, add a suitable chunk of cornbread, cover with cabbage juice (and cabbage, if you so desire), spoon garden veggies da jour over the top. Like a good gumbo who ever knows what might go in pot liquor. Anyway, mother never worried about teaching us to eat our veggies. Of course, the key word is garden veggies: home grown, home prepared. Ditto the red eye gravy 'cept we used water instead of coffee. Now ya taklin'. To be specific, you must use SALT cured ham. Ciao.

-- reeder (sinuhe@bellsouth.net), April 05, 2002.

For the red eye gravy my grandfather added a three or four drops of worcestershire sauce with the coffee and bacon grease instead of ham grease.

-- nick mueller (npmueller@yahoo.com), December 01, 2002.