How long does broccoli last after harvest? Can you freeze the broccoli and make it last longer? Here you can find out everything about the topic.
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is considered a he althy vegetable with a high nutritional content - precisely because of this and of course also because of its taste he is very popular in the kitchen. The cultivation of broccoli is therefore always worth considering, because the plants are easy to care for and high-yielding. Once you have a plant in your garden, cultivation is fairly straightforward. When harvesting and storing the inflorescences, however, you should follow a few tips so that the fresh vegetables end up on your plate.
Harvest broccoli
There are a few things to keep in mind when harvesting broccoli. Below you will find important tips for a successful harvest of the bud sites.
When do you harvest broccoli?
In order to harvest fresh and long-lasting broccoli, the right time is crucial. The taste also loses a lot of aromas if the inflorescence is harvested too late. Harvesting time depends on the broccoli variety, weather conditions and time of planting. Summer broccoli is ready to harvest about seven weeks after planting outdoors. The sprouting varieties, also called winter broccoli, on the other hand, need several months due to the cold.
Broccoli is harvested before the flower buds that make up the head have overdeveloped or even opened. Because heat develops very quickly, the plants should be checked regularly shortly before they are ready for harvest.
Because overdeveloped buds can still open after harvest due to the heat, harvest should always be early in the morning. Cool the flower heads with ice-cold water to keep them fresh and prevent them from wilting.
Harvest broccoli correctly
Broccoli can be harvested several times, once the main stem of the inflorescence and later the much smaller side heads. As soon as the main shoot in the middle is ready to harvest, i.e. has formed large inflorescences weighing around 200 to 300 grams with the buds still closed, cut offUse a sharp knife to cut this off a few centimeters below the buds. After 16 to 20 days, other side shoots weighing around 20 to 50 grams will ripen and provide several smaller broccoli buds that you can also use afterwards. So that the broccoli plant has enough space for the development of the side shoots, make sure you leave enough space when planting out.
By the way: Although most people throw away the stalk of broccoli, it can be eaten just like the buds and the taste is reminiscent of kohlrabi. However, the harder outer skin should be peeled off before cooking.
Tip for winter broccoli: As an alternative to summer broccoli, it is worth growing a winter variety. If you plant the broccoli in the summer, the cabbage plant has plenty of time to develop the delicious inflorescences. As a rule, you can harvest from March to April and thus have the first fresh vegetables of the year. Although winter broccoli is relatively cold-resistant, a fleece protects it from very cold temperatures in winter.
Storing and preserving broccoli
Everyone has probably had this experience: you buy fresh broccoli in the supermarket, but after a few days the florets turn yellow and the stalk becomes rubbery. It can also happen that the buds start flowering and the taste suffers as a result. Although broccoli is not one of the vegetables with the longest shelf life, there are still a few tricks and methods to extend the shelf life.
How long does broccoli keep?
Broccoli can be kept for up to two weeks if stored properly. However, the temperature must be very low, around 0 °C, and the humidity must be over 97%. Broccoli releases water very easily and becomes wilted as a result. This effect is significantly reduced with high humidity.
Store broccoli in the refrigerator
The fridge is ideal for keeping broccoli cool. You can further increase the shelf life there if you wrap the vegetables in a clean, damp cloth. Make sure, however, that the cloth is not dripping wet. Alternatively, wrap the head of broccoli in cling film to minimize water loss.
Freeze Broccoli
Freezing is the best way to keep broccoli fresh and fresh. To theTo freeze broccoli properly, proceed as follows: First cut the vegetables into smaller pieces and blanch the broccoli in boiling water for a few minutes. As soon as the vegetables are cooked, they should be quickly cooled with cold water and dried briefly. Broccoli can also be frozen raw, but must first be cooked or blanched after thawing. Finally, fill the pieces in freezer bags or boxes and place them in the freezer. This keeps broccoli fresh for up to a year.
Preserving broccoli: Pickling in vinegar
A well-established method of preserving vegetables such as broccoli for several weeks is pickling them in vinegar. The purpose of pickling is to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. To do this, cut the head including the stalk into small pieces and layer them together with spices such as mustard seeds in a pre-boiled mason jar. Pour a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water into the jar with the broccoli. If the vinegar taste is too strong for you, the proportion can be reduced to 1:2.
Do you already know what is perhaps the loveliest variant of the cauliflower, which is closely related to broccoli? The Romanesco fascinates with spiral towers as the inflorescence. Introducing the unusual floral vegetable.