Homegrown vs storebought brocolli?

I'm looking for ways to incorporate more brocolli into my diet, since it's supposed to be good for me but frankly I just don't like the taste of it (or its close cousin, cauliflower). I've only eaten the storebought stuff. Is there a noticeable difference in taste between homegrown and storebought, of should I just suck it up and choke down brocolli from the grocery store? Also, how easy is it to grow from seed?

Thanks
pam

There are many great ways to cook both broccoli and cauliflower, but there are other members of the same family which are just as healthy, especially cabbage and brussels sprouts, among others. If you like cabbabe and brussels sprouts, simply eat them and skip the broccoli. If you don't like any of them, let us know and we can supply recipes. I have several excellent ones.

I tried to grow broccoli last year, but I ended up with heads that looked more like broccoli asparagus.... each flowerette was tall and lanky, with broccoli on the ends of each spear. I ended up picking the broccoli and making it into a dish like asparagus where it was spear of roasted broccoli. It tasted fine, but it looked really wierd. Anyone know what might have caused that trait?

Pam,

If you really dislike the taste I can't imagine making yourself eat it! Couldn't you just try to find out what it is that's so beneficial in it and then just buy a vitamin?

I really don't believe in folks making themselves eat stuff they don't like for health reasons. I love broccoli, homegrown or storebought, but all its nutrients can be found in other veggies or combinations. Knowing how to cook vegetables makes a big difference, too. A good veggie cookbook is the Chez Panisse one, but I believe Moosewood has some great recipes too. I rely on www.epicurious.com and www.allrecipes.com because those recipes get reviews from folks who've made them. I was raised with plain sides of boiled veggies: no wonder it took me a long time to appreciate them. Having said that, there are some things I just don't like. Don't knock yourself out trying to like broccoli: try it a couple new ways (pureed broccoli cheddar soup) and then if you still don't like it, heck, move on.

Here's one recipe I use for green beans, broccoli, zucchini, whatever. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107878

Mike--your broccoli was beginning to bolt.

My 17 year old wants cheeze melted on her broccoli before she will eat it.

Debbie

I sure taste the difference between 'store bought' and my garden Broccoli.
Home grown has more flavor, by far. It will be a few more weeks for mine.
Broccoli is very easy from seed but in WV it may be too late, the heat will make it bolt.
Andy P

I saute broccoli in garlic and chicken broth even people that hate broccoli usually like it that way.

I'd suggest a broccoli cheese soup recipe. Then the broccoli bits are small and the cheese helps mask the flavor.

DMJ, what time of year should we be planting broccoli down here?

You can also puree broccoli and add it to mashed potatoes. It's a good way to disguise the taste and still get the nutritional benefits!

Cmoxon,

GOOD idea! But I love it anyway I can get it. =)

I've had a cream of broccoli soup that was heavenly.
But I love broccoli, LOL
Andy P

Late Aug- Sept tir_na_dog boy that's a mouthful to keyboard! lol
Debbie

Debbie,

Just call me Tir, I don't mind.

Mike,

Probably your broccoli plants were stressed when they were young, such as leaving them in their pots too long so they got rootbound? If you start them from seed, only start them about 6 weeks before you set them out, which can be very early in in the spring. Here in zone 6, I set mine out on April 1st. I've already had broccoli for about a week. Here's a batch of Premium Crop I picked today for the freezer. Yum!

I also started some Calabrese broccoli from seed way too early. These also were very spindly and developed button heads.

Tir...I been to San Antone many times.....

There is no comparison between store bought broccoli and home grown. Home grown wins hands down. Broccoli is a very tender plant, and I usually clean it, and then steam it. I do make a cheese sauce, or a bernaise sauce if anyone wants it. I prefer mine with butter, salt and a dash of pepper. Nothing better. I do love broccoli/cheddar cheese soup. I use some of my frozen broccoli for that in the winter.

Big Red, that's a nice harvest. Thanks for sharing your pic with us.

Love how you 'snuck' that Dave's mug in there too. I grow brocolli every fall and I'll eat it myself if there's no velveta in the house for the teenager!

The broccoli I bought was purchased late in the season to be sure, perhaps it was rootboundand was forcing itself to bolt before I bought it. But it never even made a head, the plant sat for a week or two and then it just grew rapidly into long stalks. It did taste just fine anyway. I blanched it and then simmered it in butter with a pinch of oregano and fresh garlic from the garden until it was soft and lightly browned. One old guy I talked to said that maybe heavy feltilization made it grow too fast... I did liberally foilar feed with miracle gro when it looked like it was acting dormant. I have learned since that some plants are better left alone to do what they do without feeding them a concoction of chemical fertilizers. I planted some dead bluegills beneath the tomatoes just like my grandpa used to do this year and I have no notion of fertilizing those plants.

Its pretty easy to grow from seed--germinates really quick compared to lots of other plants.

I have tried many varieties of broccoli. Some are tighter beaded than others and hence better tasting. I find that store bought broccoli is about as good as most of mine. I use it as the standard to compare mine home grown with. My Triathon is one variety that beats others.

The flavour has everything to do with the balance of minerals and the level of those minerals. And I know it's posible to go far beyond what's normal if fertility is managed properly. It turns into a deep subject real fast, and can get highly technical. The theory of biological ionization goes a long ways toward explaining why food plants taste good or bad and what it takes to make them good.

Reuben, I guess compost tastes good, LOL
Andy P