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Broccoli Preparation | Broccoli Cooking | Tips
| Broccoli |
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A vegetable consisting of dark green clusters of buds, known as florets, which grow on branching arms that connect to a thick leafy stalk. Broccoli is harvested before the buds begin to blossom. This vegetable is a relative to cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The head of branching florets and approximately 6 inches of the stalk are the edible parts of the vegetable. It is one of the most versatile of vegetables grown and can be eaten raw or cooked. It is readily available, easy to cook and is low in cost. |
| Uses:
The leaf, stalk and florets can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, it is eaten on its own accompanied by a dip or cut up and added to salads. When cooked, it can be eaten as a side dish, alone or topped with a sauce, such as au gratin, hollandaise, or Mornay. It is also often added to other dishes, such as stir fries, pasta, quiches, omelets, soups, and stews. |
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At Their Best:
Broccoli is available all year round in food stores but when growing, it does best in cool weather. |
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How to Buy:
When selecting, look for thick heads of compact, tiny bud clusters that are evenly dark green (or with purplish tint) in color. The broccoli should have a fresh aroma and a firm but tender stalk. Avoid heads that have yellowing florets, a strong odor, or open buds. Also, avoid heads that show signs of wilting of the florets or stalk. |
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Storage:
Broccoli should be left unwashed when storing. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, leaving the bag open or use a perforated plastic bag. This will avoid excess moisture, which causes mold to grow. Store up to 5 days. Broccoli can be blanched and then frozen and kept in the freezer for up to a year. Broccoli is very sensitive to ethylene, which is a gas given off by some fruits and vegetables. The gas speeds up the ripening process so broccoli should not be stored with ethylene producing fruits and vegetables, such as, apples, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, mango, peaches, pears, tomato, and white sapote. |
| Varieties: |
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Sprouting Broccoli
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Most generally referred to as broccoli. This is the most popular and most commonly found broccoli. It consists of dark green clusters of buds, known as florets, which grow on branching arms that connect to a thick leafy stalk. It is also referred to as Calabrese. |
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Purple Broccoli
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Purple broccoli is very similar to sprouting broccoli except its florets have a purplish color to them and the heads of purple broccoli are typically smaller. Its taste is the same as sprouting broccoli. |
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Broccolini
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A variety of vegetable that is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. It has an appearance similar to asparagus or gai lan, with smaller broccoli buds on top. Eaten raw, it is a tender, less fibrous stalk, that is crunchy and flavorful. This vegetable can be used in the same manner as traditional broccoli, served in salads or as an appetizer with a dip. However, it is very adaptable to stir fried vegetable dishes, or sautéed in olive oil to provide a deliciously flavored vegetable complement to a meal. It is also known as baby broccoli. |
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Broccoflower®
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A vegetable that is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Its appearance is the same as a cauliflower except it is light, bright green in color. It has a slightly sweeter taste than regular cauliflower when eaten raw and when cooked, its taste is similar to broccoli. It can be served or cooked in the same way you would regular cauliflower.
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Chinese Broccoli
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A vegetable consisting of green clusters of flowering buds, known as florets, which grow on a thick leafy stalk. It is a variety of broccoli that is similar to regular broccoli, but milder in taste and grown on a longer stalk. The stalks and leaves are often cooked separately, cooking the stalks first, until tender and the leaves until wilted. It is ideal to use raw in salads, steam cooked as a side dish, as an ingredient in a vegetable stir-fry, a meat stir-fry, or added to other cooked dishes. Chinese Broccoli is also known as Gai Lan, Gailan, Gai Laan, Gaii Lan, Gai Larn, Gai Lon, Gai Lum, Kai Lan, Kai Laarn, Kairan, Chinese kale, or white flowering broccoli. |
| Romanesco Broccoli
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A cross between broccoli and cauliflower, this bright green vegetable grows in a head consisting of many small, spiral florets. Each floret forms a peak. It has a unique and delicate flavor. It is available in the fall, September to November. |
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Broccoli Sprouts
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Broccoli seeds that have germinated, requiring only water and a cool place to grow, which are then harvested as a food. Similar to other sprouts, broccoli sprouts are a popular addition to salads and sandwiches, providing a crispy ingredient. Sprouts can also be sautéed or stir-fried, but are very delicate and can only be heated for 20 to 30 seconds before wilting. Sprouts should be kept refrigerated for only a few days before they become wilted or too moist and slimy for use. |
Broccoli Preparation
Before starting to prepare the broccoli, rinse the head thoroughly in cold water and remove any wilted or damaged leaves. After the broccoli has been cut up as shown below, soak it in salt water or vinegar water to help force any insects out that are lodged within the florets.
| If the stalk is going to be used, cut off the tough bottom end. Then trim the the stalk off, leaving about 3 inches below the florets. |
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| Peel the tough outer layer from the stalk using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife. Cut the stalk into quarters lengthwise. Holding the quartered strips together, cut the stalk crosswise to the desired size. |
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| Finish trimming the broccoli by cutting each floret off the head, leaving a little stalk on each cluster. If the individual florets are fairly large, they can be sliced in half lengthwise to make smaller pieces. |
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Broccoli Cooking
Broccoli can be cooked using several methods. Some common methods are steaming, boiling, sautéing, stir frying, and microwaving. Broccoli should be cooked until they are tender-crisp. The stalks take longer to cook so, when cooking broccoli pieces, the stalk pieces should be started a few minutes before the florets.
Steaming:
Boiling:
Microwave:
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Place broccoli into a microwave safe dish. Arrange so that the florets are in the center with the stalks around the outside edges. |
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| Sprinkle two tablespoons of water over the broccoli pieces. |
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Cover and microwave on high from 5 to 6 minutes. Turn dish once halfway through cooking time if the microwave does not have a turntable.
After cooking, leave covered and allow to stand for 4 to 5 minutes.
Drain excess moisture and prepare to serve. |
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Some recipes may call for the broccoli to be cut lengthwise into larger pieces which include both the stalk and florets together. The larger pieces will require additional cooking time. To speed up this cooking time, slit the stalks lengthwise up to the florets.
When sautéing or stir-frying, it is a good idea to parboil the broccoli first so it is partially cooked ahead of time. This will allow the broccoli to be cooked to the proper doneness when sautéed or stir-fried with other ingredients that are faster cooking.
Tips
- Do not overcook broccoli. Overcooking will cause it to break apart, lose its color, diminish its taste, and will cause the lose of many nutrients.
- If adding broccoli to a cold salad, first blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and then immediately rinse with cold water. Blanching for a short period of time will bring out the flavor of the broccoli and brightens its color.
- Enhance the flavor of broccoli with flavored butter, lemon juice, flavored vinegar, or seasonings, such as basil, dill, caraway seed, oregano, tarragon, and thyme.
- For a flavorful side dish, cover broccoli with a cheese sauce and brown under the broiler.
- When selecting broccoli, be aware that the stronger its smell the older it is.
- Peeling the fibrous outer layer of the broccoli's stalk makes it easier to digest.
- Throwing a few chunks of bread into the water when cooking broccoli will help remove the smell.
- One pound of broccoli equals 2 cups cut up. One 10 oz. frozen package equals 1 1/2 cups chopped.
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