Brussel Sprouts

Adored by many (and loathed by a few), these distinctive "mini cabbages" will be in your share a few times in the in late fall.

Cooking Tips

These tasty treats can be enjoyed a variety of ways; boiled, baked, sautéed, steamed, fried and even raw in some cases. Before cooking Brussels sprouts remove them from the stalk be snapping them off at the base. Then remove the outer leaves by cutting off the base and rinse in cool water. For a delicious and easy preparation boil the sprouts for 10-15 minutes (or just until tender), drain them, and then sauté in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for 5-10 minutes over medium high heat, adding salt, pepper, minced garlic, and any fresh or dried herbs that you desire. Another easy way to prepare sprouts is preheat the oven to 350?F, then coat the sprouts with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl, season with salt (or garlic salt) and pepper, place them on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once half way through baking.

Storage Tips

We keep our Brussels sprouts on the stalk, so when they get to you either leave them on the stalk, refrigerate and use within 1-2 days or remove them from the stalk (by snapping them off at the base) and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. The sprouts can keep for longer than a week, but tend to develop a stronger flavor over time.

Nutrition

Brussels Sprouts contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber. They are also a good source of folacin and potassium. It is best to steam or briefly boil Brussels sprouts in order to preserve both the folate and the vitamin C. Due to their containing the glucosinolate sinigrin, Brussels sprouts and other Brassica family vegetables are believed to protect against colon cancer and enhance the activity of the body's natural defense systems to protect against disease.

History

Forerunners to modern Brussels sprouts were likely cultivated in Ancient Rome, and possibly as early as the 1200s in what is now Belgium. During the sixteenth century they enjoyed popularity in the southern Netherlands that eventually spread throughout the cooler parts of Northern Europe. They were brought to North America by US president Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800's. The name stems from the original place of cultivation, not because of the vegetable's popularity in Brussels.

Field Notes

Brussels are one of the crops that really tastes noticeably better after a hard frost. Most of the commercial Brussels sprout production in this country is done in costal California, where temperatures are cool, but where it also rarely frosts. This is too bad because it means most people will never get to experience the frost sweetened sprouts we often experience here in the Pacific Northwest.