Pay attention to the season and freshness
Broccoli, which is also spelled broccoli in this country, is a typical vegetable representative from Italy. In the warm time of the year it can also thrive in local gardens. June to October is its main harvest time. Then it will also be available on the markets in good quality and without film packaging.
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If you do not harvest it fresh from your own cultivation, then pay attention to the following characteristics when buying:
- the broccoli should look fresh and dark green
- the florets should still be firmly connected
- Pressure points and discoloration are reject criteria
Tips
In your own garden, you can pay attention to chemical-free cultivation. In the retail trade, on the other hand, you can only avoid major pollution with organic goods.
Prepare broccoli properly
- Remove the leaves and cut off the woody end of the stalk.
- Separate the stem, peel it and then cut it into slices about 0.5 cm thick,
- Cut the rest of the broccoli head into bite-sized florets about 3 cm in size.
- Wash the broccoli thoroughly, because fine sand can still hide in the firm florets.
- Put the broccoli pieces in the water, to which you add a little lemon juice, for about 5 minutes. So the beautiful color is retained.
Blanch the broccoli pieces
Broccoli is only blanched briefly before freezing so that it does not get mushy after defrosting.
- in a large saucepan of boiling water
- and a teaspoon of salt
- simmer for about two minutes
- then drain in a sieve and let cool
You can also soak the broccoli in ice water to stop the cooking process even faster.
How to freeze broccoli
If only individual florets are removed from the frozen broccoli for cooking, they should be pre-frozen.
- Spread the broccoli florets on a tray
- leave space in between
- Place in the freezer for about an hour
The pre-frozen broccoli pieces no longer stick together and can now be collected in suitable and previously labeled freezer containers.
Shelf life of broccoli
Frozen broccoli can be kept for a whole year.
Thaw broccoli florets
There are various options available for thawing broccoli florets. Which of these is chosen certainly also depends on the time available and further use. The two simplest methods are:
- Thaw broccoli at room temperature
- Thaw the florets in the refrigerator
Both methods take their time, which can take a few hours. If you are in a hurry, you can “defrost” the florets again by briefly blanching them for about 1-2 minutes. To prevent the boiling water from cooling down too much due to the ice-cold florets, you should heat a relatively large amount.
Roast frozen broccoli as a side dish
Another way of preparing frozen broccoli florets quickly and ready-to-eat is the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 200 ° C
- Put the frozen broccoli florets in an ovenproof dish
- Spread a few drops of olive oil over it
- Season with salt and pepper
- Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Conclusion for quick readers:
- Quality: Green, tightly closed heads; without discoloration and pressure points
- Preparation: remove leaves and stalk ends; cut into florets; to wash
- Stalk: peel, cut into 0.5 cm slices
- Blanching: About 2 minutes in boiling water; Drain in the sieve and allow to cool
- Freezing: Pre-freeze on the tray for one hour; then collect in the freezer container
- Shelf life: 1 year
- Thawing: at room temperature or in the refrigerator; takes a few hours
- Quick alternative: Blanch 1-2 minutes in plenty of water
- Toasting: salt, pepper and drizzle with oil; Roast at 200 ° C for 15 minutes
The garden journal freshness-ABC
How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh as long as possible?
The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:
- Order here cheaply as an A3 print for your kitchen
- as a free PDF file to print out yourself
