I was going through my seed packets last night and noticed that it’s almost time to start my broccoli and cabbage seeds. I LOVE homegrown broccoli and it’s so easy to grow too.
I made a Broccoli cashew salad about 5 years ago and since then, it’s been my favorite way to eat the little green trees.
10 Fun Facts About Broccoli
1.The word “broccoli” comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which means “the flowering crest of a cabbage”, and has been around for more than 2000 years.
2. It was first introduced to the United States by Southern Italian immigrants, but did not become either wildly loved or hated until the 1920s.
3. Broccoli is full of vitamins, packed with Vitamins C and A. One cup of broccoli has more Vitamin C than an orange. The Vitamin A in the vegetable can help fight cancer and keeps eyes healthy.
4. Broccoli can be steamed, boiled, or roasted but to get the maximum nutrition value, the best way to enjoy it is raw. If you boil it, use as little water as you can and boil it quickly to prevent it turning to mush and to keep its vitamin content. No one likes mushy broccoli.
5. Did you know George H. W. Bush banned broccoli from being served on Air Force One? Guess he really hated the stuff. He said he had hated it since he was a kid and his mother made him eat it. That’s what good mothers do.
6. The United States is the 3rd largest broccoli producer in the world well behind both China and India. California grows 90% of the U.S. production.
7. Thomas Jefferson, who was an avid gardener, grew broccoli seeds brought over from Italy in the late 1700s. He planted them at his home in Monticello. Not all presidents hated broccoli.
8. The Heaviest broccoli was grown by John and Mary Evans of Palmer, Alaska and weighed 35 pounds! That extra sunlight all day really helped out.
9. The little florets of broccoli are buds ready to bloom.If left unharvested, broccoli will burst into a bunch of beautiful yellow flowers. It’s a win even if you let it sit!
10. They say, to keep a head of broccoli fresh, store it, unwashed, in a ventilated plastic bag inside the refrigerator and use it within five days. I’ve personally stored it for a couple weeks with no issues in the slightest.
Do you like broccoli too? What’s your favorite way to prepare it?
~Mavis
Broccoli Cashew Salad – It’s probably our second favorite side dish salad on the planet. {Carole’s Grape Salad is #1}
Linda says
I love broccoli but haven’t planted it in years. Last year I gave up on cabbage also thanks to those little uninvited cabbage moths that lay their eggs on all cabbage related plants. I HATE worms clinging to my beautiful plants. I grow as organic as possible, have covered the plants with light row covers, sprayed with dawn, hand picked and none of it worked. I now buy it from a farmer’s market.
Diana says
I live near San Diego so our broccoli season is ending, it was in the 80’s the last couple of days. Right now I have broccoli sprouts growing in my kitchen. They are so nutritious and great on salads and sandwiches. They are a great source of sulforaphanes which help reduce inflammation.
Melonie says
I love broccoli (cauliflower too). The main way I make it these days is oven-roasted, either with olive oil, salt & pepper; coconut aminos; or coconut aminos teriyaki sauce. Yum!
When I was a kid my mom would get the frozen stuff that had a cheese sauce. My dad didn’t like broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts, so when he traveled for military assignments, she’d cook them up for dinner. I don’t even want to know what was in that “cheese” now LOL but as a kid it sure was tasty. There’s probably a way to make a healthier version – I’ll have to look, because now I’ve given myself the urge to have it. LOL
Diana says
I love broccoli. Here in the South (GA zone 8a), we grow it as a fall crop. In the spring, by the time the last freeze happens, it’s already hitting 80 during the day and the broccoli will bolt. You have to have perfect timing and Mother Natures good favor to get any in the spring, here, lol.
I start seeds in August and it’s ready to harvest by Thanksgiving. Several years ago, we had a really mild winter and I had broccoli plants last all winter and into the spring before I pulled them.
Joely says
I have the worst luck with broccoli. The cabbage moths decimate it no matter what I do. Makes me crazy since I love broccoli.
Jenny says
I hear you about the worms and moths! It seems like some years are just better than others. I have also tried so many things. It’s been a few years since I’ve tried, so maybe I will, again. I soak it in salt water before cooking and it decreases my love and appetite to see all those yucky green worms come crawling out. We are so lucky that we can buy it fresh any time of year. I think maybe I will do sprouts again inside. No worms there!
Linda Practical Parsimony says
I love broccoli raw, steamed, cooked in casseroles, and mushy.
Joely says
Sprouts it is!!
Mel says
Broccoli is usually my favorite, but it’s been less appealing while pregnant. We had tons of broccoli growing in the Fall, and I couldn’t even look at it, let alone eat it. I can finally eat it again, but it’s still not my favorite at the moment.
I’ve found the cabbage moths don’t go after certain varieties, so we grow those. We also typically overwinter them and let them bolt in Spring since the flowers are extremely nutritious for bees.
Joely says
Hi Mel,
Congratulations on your pregnancy. Would you share what varieties you like to grow that the cabbage moths leave alone?
Thanks!
Mel says
Thanks!
And sure, I’ve found this variety goes completely untouched by cabbage moths:
https://www.rareseeds.com/early-purple-sprouting-broccoli?gclid=CjwKCAiAjoeRBhAJEiwAYY3nDLhuaCSPH0ssveuzbTlYX8alVyQF_toG–QOsiilgRIESX-eQKDmyBoCWnkQAvD_BwE
It really needs to overwinter to do its thing though, so I’m sure the cold temperatures help a bit. In general, I’ve found most sprouting varieties (Burpee carries a few hybrids) to be pretty resistant to moths (especially if grown in Fall), but the one from Baker Creek is the only one I’ve never found a cabbage worm on.