Can you eat broccoli flowers?
In this short article, we will provide an answer to the question, “Can you eat broccoli flowers?” with an in-depth analysis of broccoli flowers, conditions that lead to flowering, uses of broccoli flowers, nutritional components and types of broccoli.
Can you eat broccoli flowers?
Yes, you can definitely eat broccoli flowers. They are not poisonous but completely edible. However, they have a slightly bitter taste and less nutritional value.
Broccoli flowers can be consumed after cooking as well as raw. They can be used as a nutritious and attractive enhancement to any salad or as an edible garnish.
In fact, the stems, leaves, buds, and flowers of broccoli are all edible.
What is broccoli?
Broccoli is a nutritious green plant of the same brassica family that includes cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It is a widespread plant in home gardens whose stalk, large flowering head, and tiny leaves are consumed as a vegetable.
It germinates readily from seed for those who like to start their own seeds early, and it is also available in plant nurseries as transplantings.
Broccoli Flowers
The natural growth pattern of a broccoli plant is to form flower buds, bloom, and make seeds. The head of closed buds, soft stems and leaves are what we typically consider the consumable parts of the plant.
If the clusters of bud are not harvested for consumption they will start to grow as bright yellow flowers. The flowers are attracted by small bees and other pollinating bugs and insects. Once fertilised, the flowers will produce seeds.
If your broccoli has closed buds except for a few flowers that are ready to pop open, and if the bloomed flowers bother you, simply pick off the bloomed flowers and trim the head. Cook it as you normally do.
The deep yellow broccoli flowers are safe to consume and have a pleasant taste. In case you missed harvesting at the closed bud stage of broccoli, you can still harvest it, even with the opened flowers.
Fully opened flowers will wither when heated but partly opened buds preserve their shape.
Broccoli flowers have a delicious, subtle taste. Yellow broccoli flowers are especially sold as a delicacy item in the produce section of numerous supermarkets.
How to consume broccoli flowers?
As far as preparation of broccoli is concerned, it is up to you whether you want to eat your broccoli flowers cooked, or straight out of the soil in raw form, but if you prefer to cook them, avoid steaming, as it will quickly wither your broccoli flowers, ruining their unique texture and appearance.
What conditions lead to flowering?
Inadequate growing conditions lead to broccoli that rushes into flowering. Dryness and hot weather conditions can be major contributors to early flowering.
Broccoli grows well in cold weather. Temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, promotes the flower buds to open long before they produce a large head.
Uses of broccoli flowers
Broccoli flowers can also be used to produce seeds. You can keep the seeds for next year’s garden. Always store seeds from open-pollinated types of broccoli, not from hybrids.
Hybrid broccoli does produce seeds, but the seeds will revert back to one of the hybrid’s parents. Most seeds from hybrid plants are incapable of germination, and if they do grow, they will not form bud clusters or flowers.
The disadvantage of broccoli flowers
The only disadvantage of letting your broccoli blossom, sadly, is that the plant actually loses all of its nutritional contents once it has bloomed. Though you can still eat it, it will not give you the same health benefits that traditional broccoli provides.
Health benefits of broccoli
Broccoli has good amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants such as beta carotene, vitamins C, vitamin A, iron, calcium, and folate among other trace minerals and phytochemicals.
One-half cup of steamed broccoli contains 2.3 grams protein and 2.4 grams fibre.
Broccolis are considered healthy vegetables. They occurs deemed helpful in preventing cancer, especially stomach and intestinal cancers. Broccoli also effectively reduces the levels of bad cholesterol in our bodies. The vitamin A present in broccoli helps to improve eyesight.
Types of broccoli
Several types of broccoli can be found in supermarkets:
Traditional broccoli: Traditional broccoli has a large central head. It is widely found in American supermarkets.
Raab broccoli: Also known as Italian broccoli, this broccoli grows with many branches and small, loose florets. The whole plant is harvested for the leafy greens and shoots.
The green part of heads on any type of broccoli are groups of unopened flower buds. Primary harvest time is just before the flower buds get opened.
To avoid the development of broccoli flowers, harvest the green heads just when the buds start to enlarge.
Conclusion
In this short article, we have provided an answer to the question, “Can you eat broccoli flowers?” with an in-depth analysis of broccoli flowers, conditions that leads to flowering, uses of broccoli flowers, nutritional components and types of broccoli.
References
http://nwedible.com/harvest-broccoli-cauliflower/
