Picking (harvesting) Cauliflower

You should harvest cauliflower when the heads are about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Cauliflower heads can grow larger but they may become loose and yellow. Always cut the heads at the base of the florets inside the green wrapper leaves. Leaving some wrapper leaves on the outside of the head will help protect the white florets. You should always refrigerate cauliflower after picking in an airtight container or bag to reduce moisture loss and help retain firmness.

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Picking (harvesting) Broccoli

It is important to wait until the heads of the brocolli plant reach full size which most often will be about 4 to 6 inches in diameter. When harvesting broccoli you should cut the head about 7 inches down the stem. Weather conditions play a major role when deciding on timing of your harvest. Hot temperatures most often make the heads become loose and cause florets to open into yellow flowers. Cooler temperatures allow the heads to grow tightly and prevent florets from flowering. You should check the heads of your broccoli every other day when daytime temperatures reach or above 70ºF. Cut those that have reached full size at that time. After the heads are cut you will start to see side shoots forming with smaller florets. These tender shoots can be harvested and used the same way as the main head. After harvest, submerge heads in cold water, drain, and refrigerate in airtight containers or plastic bags to keep fresh.

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Happy Spring 2009!

Today, March 20, 2009, is the first day of spring. The long awaited arrival of spring is finally here. With the arrival of spring comes warmer weather, beautiful flowers, singing birds, and planning for the growing season. In these tough economic times, growing your own vegetables may be something to try if you haven’t done so in the past. Because we live in the northeast, this is the time to start planning a garden.

If you don’t have a large area, start on a smaller scale. You can use pots for tomatoes and herbs or you can allocate an area in your yard for growing vegetable plants. Think about what you might like to plant…we start in April with cool weather plants such as peas, lettuce, carrots, and broccoli. After that, near the end of May, we grow tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, green beans, swiss chard, zucchini, herbs and whatever else we decide on while we are at the garden center.

We like to plant something different in addition to our usual plants. We grow our herbs in pots in a different section of our yard…basil, mint, parsley, rosemary, tarragon and thyme are the herbs we grow every year.

Vegetable gardening is very rewarding and offers many benefits such as healthy eating, exercise, a sense of accomplishment, saving money, and enjoying mother nature. It is very important to note to use organic gardening practices whenever possible. This will be covered in future posts. Be sure to keep visiting my blog for more information on gardening and interesting personal stories that occur during the growing season.

Hope you have a Happy Spring Day!

Broccoli … Part of the Cabbage Family

Broccoli has been around for more than 2000 years, The name “broccoli” comes for the Latin word brachium, which means “branch,” or “arm.” Americans have grown it in their gardens for only about 200 years! The first commercially grown broccoli was grown and harvested in New York, then planted in the 1920′s in California. A few crates were sent back East and by 1925 the broccoli market was off the ground.

Varieties

Broccoli was first grown in the Italian province of Calabria and was given the name Calabrese. Today there are many varieties. In the United States, the most common type of broccoli is the Italian green or sprouting variety. Its green stalks are topped with umbrella-shaped clusters of purplish green florets.

Selection

IF Harvesting:
Since broccoli grows best in cool weather, your garden plan should produce a fall and spring harvest. The large central head is the spring harvest and smaller side shoots will be ready in the fall. Harvest when the head is large and firm, with a compact cluster of small flower buds with none open enough to show bright yellow flowers. Look for bright green or purplish-green heads. Yellow flowers and enlarged buds are signs of over-maturity.

IF Shopping:
Choose bunches that are dark green. Good color indicates high nutrient value. Florets that are dark green, purplish, or bluish green contain more beta-carotene and vitamin C than paler or yellowing ones. Choose bunches with stalks that are very firm. Stalks that bend or seem rubbery are of poor quality. Avoid broccoli with open, flowering, discolored, or water-soaked bud clusters and tough, woody stems.

Storage

Store broccoli unwashed, in an open plastic bag and place in the crisper drawer of refrigerator. It is best if used within a day or two after purchasing.

Fresh vs. Frozen

Packaged frozen broccoli differs from fresh in its nutrient content. The flower buds or florets are richer in beta-carotene than the stalks. Manufactures typically cut off most of the stalk before packaging it, so frozen broccoli may contain 35% more beta-carotene by weight than fresh broccoli. The downside is that frozen broccoli has twice as much sodium as fresh (up to 68 mg per 10 oz. package), about half the calcium, and smaller amounts of iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C.

Preparation and Cooking

The best way to cook broccoli is to steam, cook in the microwave or stir-fry with a little broth or water. These methods are better than boiling. Some of the vitamin and mineral content are lost from the vegetable and end up in the cooking water when they are boiled. Cooked broccoli should be tender enough so that it can be pierced with a sharp knife, and still remain crisp and bright green in color.

Broccoli Nutrition Information

Cooked Broccoli
Serving size 1/2 cup cooked (78g)
Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 25
Calories from Fat 5
Total Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 30mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 30%
Vitamin C 80%
Calcium 4%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Raw Broccoli
Serving size 1/2 cup raw (36g)
Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 10
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 10mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 20%
Vitamin C 60%
Calcium 2%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Broccoli Soup Recipe
Makes 4 servings. (1 cup each)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli (or 10-ounce pkg. frozen broccoli)
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 cups nonfat milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
Dash ground thyme
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

Place vegetables and broth in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender (about 8 minutes). Mix milk, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and thyme; add to cooked vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup is lightly thickened and mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted. This is an official Fruits & Veggies—More Matters recipe.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: calories 115, cholesterol 10mg, sodium 255mg, fat 3g, calories from fat 24%.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

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