Broccoli from your own garden always tastes better than from the supermarket. Provided you harvest and store it properly. You have to pay attention to a few things.
Anyone who plants broccoli in the garden can cut and harvest it several times a year. Depending on the variety and sowing, the harvest season begins in July or August. The middle, edible flower is removed first, then the plant will sprout again.
Broccoli tastes best freshly harvested and prepared, of course. But it can also be stored in the fridge for a few days. For longer storage, however, it is better if you freeze the broccoli.
How to Harvest and Store Broccoli Properly
❶ Harvest broccoli:
From July until the first frost it is harvest time for broccoli. You can tell when the first cut is right when the center flower is well formed. But it still has to be completely closed. Using a sharp knife, cut off the flower head along with a piece of the stem. The cut stalk also tastes good, it should be about 10 to 15 centimeters long. The side buds remain on the plants. This is where new shoots and more flower heads form, which you can harvest later.
By the way, the broccoli plants don't mind a little frost. You can safely leave the plants in the bed down to -5°C. If it gets colder, cover your broccoli plants with fleece or a polytunnel. This means that harvesting is possible well into the winter. If you cut your broccoli early in the morning, it will have the best flavor. It is then still damp from the dew and survives storage better.
❷ Wash and dry broccoli:
Since you only cut off parts above ground, there is no need for time-consuming cleaning. In your own garden you also largely do without sprays. It is sufficient if you briefly wash the florets and their stems under running water. Dry the harvest in a large tea towel before storing: To do this, add the washed broccoli, gather the ends and toss briefly. The vegetables don't have to be completely dry, but dripping wet is fine for themStorage not good.
❸ How to refrigerate broccoli:
Broccoli stays fresh for up to seven days in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Earlier preparation makes sense, of course, but sometimes the time of harvest and kitchen plans just don't go together. Therefore, wrap the broccoli in a damp tea towel or place it in a plastic bag with small holes for ventilation. Caution: Apples and pears must not be stored in the vegetable drawer at the same time. The fruit gives off the gas ethylene. This causes broccoli and other vegetables to spoil faster.
❹ Freeze broccoli for stock:
Broccoli can be kept in the freezer for up to six months without losing its taste. The vitamins are also largely preserved if you freeze them immediately after harvesting. The flower buds and stems are edible. We advise freezing the florets and stems separately as the two parts have different cooking times. If you have thick stems with a rather hard skin, peel off the skin with a sharp knife or asparagus/potato peeler.
Blanch the florets and stems briefly before freezing. For this you need a pot with boiling water and a bowl with ice water. If you add a small pinch of baking soda to the cooking water, the green color is retained particularly well. Place the prepared broccoli in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then immediately into the ice water. Now just drain well, pack in portions and put them in the freezer.