I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
am a little wary.

I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
that it's going bad?

I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?

Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.

Thanks!

"Paul McNoob" > wrote in message
...
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
> Thanks!

Bluish with tight buds is good. Yellowish is bad.

I suggest buying broccoli crowns, unless you are a big stalk fan. Trim the
bottom, and separate by pulling apart the bigger stems. If necessary, cut
those stems into two or more pieces from top to bottom. Then cut the stalks
from the bottom partway up toward the top so that they cook more quickly.
The goal is to have a nice balance between stem and flower, and a stem that
cooks quickly so that the flower isn't overdone and falling apart.

Plunge the broccoli into a *large* pot of rapidly boiling *salted* water and
cook just a few minutes until the steams are barely done. Drain well. I'd
add butter and pepper.

Another way I like to cook broccoli is to cut it into smaller florets and
saute it in olive oil. If you get a cast iron skillet nicely hot, add a
little olive oil, then rinse the broccoli in a colander and dump it directly
into the hot oil and clap a cover on, there is sufficient water to steam it
quite rapidly. You can take the lid off to finish it, letting any remaining
moisture evaporate. (This is the way I like to cook it for fritatas. I like
to let it get a little browned, but YMMV.

I prefer to steam broccoli, for about 8 minutes. It doesn't get soggy and
retains flavor and nutrients.



"Paul McNoob" > wrote in message
...
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
> Thanks!

On Sep 23, 10:50�am, Paul McNoob > wrote:
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.

The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
often. Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less, and
is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.

http://www.dole5aday.com/html/kids/N...oli/index.html

Paul McNoob wrote:
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.


Avoid yellow.
Bluish green is good.
Touch the flowerettes with your thumb and press. Firm is good.


At home, just throw it in the fridge. The ice is for outside on a hot day.


I cut off the flowerettes such that each piece is about 2 inches on top.
Include some stalk. If you want to use the thick stalk, peel the
stringy green part off and use the softer lighter green part in the middle.


Here's my foolproof method. Bring plenty of water to a boil. Don't
bother with salt or anything. Toss the broccoli in, cover, and remove
the pot from the heat. Yep. Take it off the burner. If it's gas, turn
it off. If it's electric, there's heat in the coils, so remove the pot.
Now time exactly 5 minutes. When 5 minutes are up, drain the water
and serve. Some of us in this household use butter, but I prefer salad
dressing.


--Lia

"Paul McNoob" > wrote in message
...
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
> Thanks!

My hubby loves broccoli the way I fix it. I get a large microwavable
container and put about a half cup water in it. To this I add a dash of soy
sauce and some chopped onion. I break the broccoli into eating size parts
and put in container. I add a bit more chopped onion to this as well as some
salt and pepper. I then slice up some margarine and place the pieces on the
broccoli. Then I sprinkle a little powdered chicken bouillon on the
broccoli. lightly cover and microwave for ten minutes. My husband really
prefers this over cooking in boiling water or steaming. The stepkids love it
also. They can almost eat an entire head each by themselves. I can't have a
family meal without the broccoli.

Sheldon wrote:

> The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
> often. Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less, and
> is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.

How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? Duh.

It's not. It's the other way around since frozen broccoli is partially
cooked.

-sw

Sqwertz wrote:
>
> How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? Duh.
>
> It's not. It's the other way around since frozen broccoli is partially
> cooked.


Not necessarily. Cooking at high temperatures destroys some vitamin
content, but it also breaks down cellulose making vitamins accessable
that otherwise wouldn't be. Also, broccoli is high in fiber. That
means it's great for some people who need the extra fiber but difficult
to digest for other people for whom the fiber is enough to make them
sick. Lightly cooking again breaks down the fiber which makes the
nutritious food available to people who otherwise wouldn't be able to
eat it.


--Lia

On Sep 23, 10:50 am, Paul McNoob > wrote:
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
> Thanks!

I cut the outer part of the stems away, cut into 1 inch sections and
steam along with the crowns, about 13 minutes. THe resulting greenish
water you might even want to let cool and drink or add to stretch a
bit of leftover soup.

I store it in a green bag if I see a sale and am not in a rush to
serve it that night. I can't praise those bags enough.

Ice on top? My market justs mists the produce every so often - with a
chorus of "Singin in the Rain" for good measure.

On Sep 23, 10:50*am, Paul McNoob > wrote:
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.

I prefer fresh broccoli because I can control how it's cut. Sure,
frozen
might preserve its nutrients a little better (less time from farm to
suspended animation in the freezer), but I don't worry about a few
percentage points here and there.

> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?

Besides all the other good advice given here, I wanted to point out
that
broccoli is a flower. Once it starts to bloom (turns yellow), it's
really
nasty. Other than that, blue or green is finel.

> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.

I bust it up into florets (as described elsewhere in this thread),
peel the
stalks and cut them in half crosswise, put it in a glass dish with a
loose
lid and nuke it for about a minute and a half. Much simpler than any
other prep I've seen described here.

Cindy Hamilton

On Sep 23, 7:50*am, Paul McNoob > wrote:
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary. [snip]
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
You can steam, microwave or boil (in my order of preference) but the
methods give very similar results. The big question is how do you
like your broccoli, because this is a vegetable whose character and
taste changes dramatically as it cooks. You can make it anywhere
along the range from raw to mushy and the taste changes right along
with the texture.)

If you're used to frozen broccoli then you are used to its being
rather soft, including the stems, with fully cooked taste. I'd
suggest you experiment a little to find the degree of doneness you
like best. For example, break/cut a head up and place in
micrawaveable dish, covered. Season it lightly. Zap for 3 minutes.
Remove a few pieces to a plate and zap for another minute. While
that's happening, taste test the removed pieces. Repeat several
times. A bit of this and I think you'd find the degree of doneness
you most like.

Besides the cooking methods noted already, you can also do a stirfry
approach. Heat a wok or heavy pan, add a tablespoon of oil and 2 or 3
slices of fresh ginger and one smashed garlic clove. On less than
full-out heat (so as to avoid the sulfur-y effect of scorching it),
stir the broccoli pieces around until they've all received some oil,
about 2 minutes. Now add about 1/4 cup of water, reduce the heat and
cover to steam to the desired doneness. Dress it with a quite small
amount of soy sauce or oyster sauce. -aem

aem wrote:
> On Sep 23, 7:50 am, Paul McNoob > wrote:
>> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
>> am a little wary. [snip]
>>
>> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
>> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
>> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>>
> You can steam, microwave or boil (in my order of preference) but the
> methods give very similar results. The big question is how do you
> like your broccoli, because this is a vegetable whose character and
> taste changes dramatically as it cooks. You can make it anywhere
> along the range from raw to mushy and the taste changes right along
> with the texture.)
>

......methods snipped....


Grilled broccoli is also very good. I just take a head and slice it in
half or thirds lengthwise - starting through the trunk. Toss in a bit of
olive oil, salt and pepper and grill. It tastes completely different
from steamed/boiled broccoli.

-Tracy

Sqwertz wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
> > The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
> > often. �Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less, and
> > is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.
>
> How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? �Duh.

Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
harvest. So called fresh ain't fresh at all, probably more than two
weeks old when purchased... sat out unwrapped in the bright lights of
the stupidmarket continually spritzed but not even refrigerated...
then gets home and sits in the fridge days more, till it's limp and
impotent like your puny peepee.

Canned produce is more nutritious than so called fresh.

Anyone wonder what's done with the stems that were lopped off from the
broccoli crowns, besides the fact that the consumer pays for them in
the higher price of crowns.... they're tossed in teh trash but you
paid for them. Produce people know that removing the crowns from the
stems retards bolting, so the crowns keep from flowering longer. Btw,
the broccoli leaves are the most nutritious part... most were removed
and hardly anyone eats the few remaining. Even for crudites I buy
whole broccoli, it costs less, is usually somewhat fresher than the
crowns, and the stems are used as a separate vegetable.

I've tried growing broccoli, a few times, no luck in NY climate.

Sheldon wrote:
> Sqwertz wrote:
>> Sheldon wrote:
>>> The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
>>> often. �Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less, and
>>> is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.
>> How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? �Duh.
>
> Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
> harvest.

Where'd you hear *that*? It ain't fish.

> So called fresh ain't fresh at all, probably more than two
> weeks old when purchased... sat out unwrapped in the bright lights of
> the stupidmarket continually spritzed but not even refrigerated...
> then gets home and sits in the fridge days more, till it's limp and
> impotent like your puny peepee.

Do you have proof that this makes it less nutritious than blanching and
freezing?, Mr Sauk? Or is this just one of those things you pulled
out of your asses (mouth and sphincter areas).

> Canned produce is more nutritious than so called fresh.

More BS. Canned vegetables are soaked in water and cooked to death.

> Anyone wonder what's done with the stems that were lopped off from the
> broccoli crowns

They're made into those bags of broccoli slaw mix.

-sw

On Sep 23, 12:01*pm, Sheldon > wrote:
>
> Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
> harvest. *So called fresh ain't fresh at all, probably more than two
> weeks old when purchased... sat out unwrapped in the bright lights of
> the stupidmarket continually spritzed but not even refrigerated...
> then gets home and sits in the fridge days more, till it's limp and
> impotent like your puny peepee.

Depends on where you live and shop. The broccoli I buy at the
Thursday farmers market was picked that morning and usually is brought
from less than 100 miles away . On Wednesday at the earliest. The
supermarket stuff may be several days older but certainly not two
weeks.

> [snip]
> *Produce people know that removing the crowns from the
> stems retards bolting, so the crowns keep from flowering longer.

I don't buy just the crowns because we like the stems: cut
diagonally and thin they're perfect in stir fries.
>
> I've tried growing broccoli, a few times, no luck in NY climate.

It's a cool season crop here, we could plant it now. We've grown it
successfully in past years but we dropped it from our list because it
didn't offer us any noticeable improvement over the bought stuff.
Except for the bright sprays of yellow flowers when you let the plant
keep growing too long. I'm about to plant the mainstays of our cool
season: snowpeas, lettuces, a couple of bok choy-time things. They
seem to us worthwhile to grow. -aem

Jeff Kology wrote:

> I prefer to steam broccoli, for about 8 minutes. It doesn't get soggy and
> retains flavor and nutrients.


The microwave was *made* for steaming broccoli, 'tis perfection every
time...


--
Best
Greg


> "Paul McNoob" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> > am a little wary.
> >
> > I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> > where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> > that it's going bad?
> >
> > I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> > fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
> >
> > Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> > certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> > cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
> >
> > Thanks!
>
>

On Sep 23, 9:50*am, Paul McNoob > wrote:
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
> Thanks!

I don't have a special cooking method, but the FIRST THING you do is
put it in a sink or big pan of cold water, so the worms can float to
the top. There are nearly always worms, especially if you get it at a
farmers' market, and they are the same color as the broccoli.

N.

Nancy2 wrote:

> I don't have a special cooking method, but the FIRST THING you do is
> put it in a sink or big pan of cold water, so the worms can float to
> the top. There are nearly always worms, especially if you get it at a
> farmers' market, and they are the same color as the broccoli.

I always wash my broccoli -- even if I buy the bagged pre-washed and cut
stuff.

Must admit, I have NEVER seen worms in the broccoli I've gotten -- fresh
from the farmer's market or otherwise. I always steam my broccoli and
you would think they would be falling off into the drip pan if they were
there.

Must be an Iowa thing! ;-)

--Lin

On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:45:29 -0700, Lin >
wrote:

>> I don't have a special cooking method, but the FIRST THING you do is
>> put it in a sink or big pan of cold water, so the worms can float to
>> the top. There are nearly always worms, especially if you get it at a
>> farmers' market, and they are the same color as the broccoli.
>
>I always wash my broccoli -- even if I buy the bagged pre-washed and cut
>stuff.

And don't forget to put a couple of tablespoons of SALT in the water.
That really flushes out the bugs. Farmer Market broccoli SHOULD
have worns in it. That way you know it is fresh!! No
worms....been sitting around for a while.

Billy wrote:

> And don't forget to put a couple of tablespoons of SALT in the water.
> That really flushes out the bugs. Farmer Market broccoli SHOULD
> have worns in it. That way you know it is fresh!! No
> worms....been sitting around for a while.

When I am rinsing fresh green beans, okra or fresh berries I use salt in
the rinse bowl.

Concerning the broccoli, maybe it's all the spraying that California
does that contributes to our local lack of bug life. Organics only go so
far ...

Then again, maybe that 3g of protein per serving are very well hidden
worms! ;-)

--Lin

On Sep 23, 3:25*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
> > Sqwertz wrote:
> >> Sheldon wrote:
> >>> The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
> >>> often. Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less, and
> >>> is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.
> >> How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? Duh.
>
> > Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
> > harvest.
>
> Where'd you hear *that*? *

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/flash...egetables.html

But you miss the point entirely. IF, you could get just harvested
broccoli then you may have a case, but you can't and so you don't.

Produce fields are so large, hundreds and hundreds of acres, that it's
actually far more economical to haul mobile processing plants to the
field than to haul perishable produce to a processing plant...
obviously any pinhead should realize that a permanent brick and mortar
plant costs a lOT more to maintain. A lot of cauliflower is grown
where I live (this part of NY is ideal for growing cauliflower, an
excellent cash crop). I see the mobile processing plants right out in
the fields. Each year I'm approached by one of the local agri
combines to lease my 91 acre property for cauliflower production, it's
high and cool, perfect. But I prefer to leave things as is, I rent
yearly to a local who hays it for his own livestock... all cash deal
on a handshake keeps IRS out of the loop.

http://www.dole5aday.com/html/kids/N...wer/index.html

"Known as the “Salad Bowl of the World", the Salinas Valley has a 10-
month growing season with a moderate climate. Deep, rich soil with an
excellent underground water table makes this valley one of the most
ideal places on Earth for growing top quality vegetables.

In addition to California, other states that produce cauliflower
include _New York_, Arizona, Michigan, Oregon, Florida, and
Washington."

Duh!

"Paul McNoob" > wrote in message
...
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?

No its undersexed.


> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?

Sure why not ( Shrinkage)

> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time?

No No No No No!

Steam or zap in the nuker.


My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.

Yes they do cut them into baby trees.

Dimitri

aem wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> > Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
> > harvest. �So called fresh ain't fresh at all, probably more than two
> > weeks old when purchased... sat out unwrapped in the bright lights of
> > the stupidmarket continually spritzed but not even refrigerated...
> > then gets home and sits in the fridge days more,
>
>
> Depends on where you live and shop. �The broccoli I buy at the
> Thursday farmers market was picked that morning and usually is brought
> from less than 100 miles away . �On Wednesday at the earliest. �The
> supermarket stuff may be several days older but certainly not two
> weeks.

Then you're very fortunate. Most folks don't live close to where
broccoli is grown. But then when I lived in CA much of the produce,
especially citrus, was awful... explanation given is that the good
stuff was sold elsewhere for top dollar and the culls were retained
for the locals. That's pretty much true here in NY, much of the apple
crop available in stupidmarkets during harvest season is poor
quality... pretty much need to go to the pick your own orchards.

Sheldon > wrote:

> On Sep 23, 3:25*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
>> Sheldon wrote:
>>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>>> Sheldon wrote:
>>>>> The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
>>>>> often. Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less, and
>>>>> is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.
>>>> How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? Duh.
>>
>>> Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
>>> harvest.
>>
>> Where'd you hear *that*? *
>
> http://www.buzzle.com/articles/flash...egetables.html

Yeah - and I suspect that accounts for less than .1% of the veggies
in the frozen foods section of your grocery store.
>
> But you miss the point entirely. IF, you could get just harvested
> broccoli then you may have a case, but you can't and so you don't.
>
> Produce fields are so large, hundreds and hundreds of acres, that it's
> actually far more economical to haul mobile processing plants to the
> field than to haul perishable produce to a processing plant...

And then the grocery stores pick all these vegetables up right there
at the field, right? Duh.

You make no sense at all. It's far more economical for you to just
shut the **** up.

-sw

Sqwertz wrote:

> Sheldon > wrote:
>
> > On Sep 23, 3:25 pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> >> Sheldon wrote:
> >>> Sqwertz wrote:
> >>>> Sheldon wrote:
> >>>>> The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
> >>>>> often. Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less,
and
> >>>>> is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.
> >>>> How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? Duh.
> >>
> >>> Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
> >>> harvest.
> >>
> >> Where'd you hear *that*?
> >
> > http://www.buzzle.com/articles/flash...egetables.html
>
> Yeah - and I suspect that accounts for less than .1% of the veggies
> in the frozen foods section of your grocery store.
> >
> > But you miss the point entirely. IF, you could get just harvested
> > broccoli then you may have a case, but you can't and so you don't.
> >
> > Produce fields are so large, hundreds and hundreds of acres, that it's
> > actually far more economical to haul mobile processing plants to the
> > field than to haul perishable produce to a processing plant...
>
> And then the grocery stores pick all these vegetables up right there
> at the field, right? Duh.
>
> You make no sense at all. It's far more economical for you to just
> shut the **** up.



"There was a time that Sqwertz went to Bali

Where he had an occasional dally

He had sat on a lap

Of a well-endowed chap

And he stuck it up Steve's 'chocolate alley'..."


:-)


--
Best
Greg

" I find Greg Morrow lowbrow, witless, and obnoxious. For him to claim that
we are some
kind of comedy team turns my stomach."
- "cybercat" to me on rec.food.cooking

On Sep 23, 8:19�pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> Sheldon > wrote:
> > On Sep 23, 3:25�pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> >> Sheldon wrote:
> >>> Sqwertz wrote:
> >>>> Sheldon wrote:
> >>>>> The only time I buy "fresh" broccoli is for crudites, which isn't
> >>>>> often. Frozen is always more nutritious, most usually costs less, and
> >>>>> is far easier to prepare than so called fresh.
> >>>> How is frozen broccoli more nutritious? Duh.
>
> >>> Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
> >>> harvest.
>
> >> Where'd you hear *that*? �
>
> >http://www.buzzle.com/articles/flash...egetables.html
>
> Yeah - and I suspect that accounts for less than .1% of the veggies
> in the frozen foods section of your grocery store.
>
>
>
> > But you miss the point entirely. �IF, you could get just harvested
> > broccoli then you may have a case, but you can't and so you don't.
>
> > Produce fields are so large, hundreds and hundreds of acres, that it's
> > actually far more economical to haul mobile processing plants to the
> > field than to haul perishable produce to a processing plant...
>
> And then the grocery stores pick all these vegetables up right there
> at the field, right? �Duh.
>
> You make no sense at all. �It's far more economical for you to just
> shut the **** up.

Yup, I take it that means you lose, AGAIN!

Ahahahahahahahahahahaha. . . .

Sheldon wrote:

> Then you're very fortunate. Most folks don't live close to where
> broccoli is grown. But then when I lived in CA much of the produce,
> especially citrus, was awful... explanation given is that the good
> stuff was sold elsewhere for top dollar and the culls were retained
> for the locals. That's pretty much true here in NY, much of the apple
> crop available in stupidmarkets during harvest season is poor
> quality... pretty much need to go to the pick your own orchards.

One of the advantages of living in a rural area is access to freshly
picked fruit and vegetables. There are several fruit and vegetable
stands near my house where I can get things within hours of picking. One
of the real bonuses is sour cherries. It is hard to find them in grocery
stores, and they really need to be used within a few hours of picking.
Tree ripened peaches are rotten by the time they get to grocery stores.
Beans and asparagus right out of the garden are much better than they
are after being shipped to a store and then sitting.

"Janet Baraclough" > ha > from Lin
> contains these words:
>
>> Nancy2 wrote:
>
>> > I don't have a special cooking method, but the FIRST THING you do is
>> > put it in a sink or big pan of cold water, so the worms can float to
>> > the top. There are nearly always worms

>> I always wash my broccoli -- even if I buy the bagged pre-washed and cut
>> >> stuff.
>
>> Must admit, I have NEVER seen worms in the broccoli I've gotten -- fresh
>> from the farmer's market or otherwise.
>
> Me neither. but since Nancy's worms are green they might be caterpillars
> :-)
>
> Janet

I have had them twice... once discovered on top after steaming. Bleaugh.
Salt washing works. I think you only get them on organically grown veg. I
have also had a similar experience with cauliflower, so a salt soak for
that, as well.
If you worry about bug sprays, etc., you can wash in "green clay" before
final rinsing.

On Sep 23, 11:26�pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
> > Then you're very fortunate. �Most folks don't live close to where
> > broccoli is grown. �But then when I lived in CA much of the produce,
> > especially citrus, was awful... explanation given is that the good
> > stuff was sold elsewhere for top dollar and the culls were retained
> > for the locals. �That's pretty much true here in NY, much of the apple
> > crop available in stupidmarkets during harvest season is poor
> > quality... pretty much need to go to the pick your own orchards.
>
> One of the advantages of living in a rural area is access to freshly
> picked fruit and vegetables.

Depends how you define rural... most rural areas in the US are pretty
devoid of crops, and if so they are crops fit only for live stock.

There are several fruit and vegetable
> stands near my house where I can get things within hours of picking.

I can too, but most crops have very short seasons. And one thing the
farm stand operators don't advertise is most of their produce is
shipped in same as what's sold at the stupidmarkets. The farm stands
in my area can't possibly have any different fresh picked produce than
what I grow myself, their season is no longer (if anything my season
is longer because I custom hand pick everything myself so don't have
to deal with crop pickers who move on to the next ripening produce).
And during most of the year produce arrives from the opposite side of
the planet anyway.

Some of my neighbors put out vegetables from their home gardens on a
small stand by the road in front of their house, sold on the honor
system... those were picked within 24 hours or so... rarely is any
farm stand produce picked within a few hours, extremely rarely (except
by lucky coincidence), most of what's sold was picked days ago... do
you really think they are going to put out say freshly picked corn
ahead of what was picked previously but hasn't been sold yet, of
course not. For the most part the only ones that ensure fresh picked
are those that offer U-Pick... and those only have a season lasting a
week or two. Farm stands are mostly a lot of hype. There is only one
way to get fresh picked, grow your own.

Sheldon wrote:

> Yup, I take it that means you lose, AGAIN!

You pretty much lost when you started to type. And again when you tried
to change the discussion away from nutrient loss to freshness. And then
you lost that one, too.

You're 0 for 3 in this thread. Just like with all the women in your
past, you struck out again. But, Hey - you still have Greg so all is
not lost.

ObFood [and looking in my desk drawer]: Looks like it's microwaved spam
and jalapeno tortilla chips for lunch this afternoon.

-sw

On Sep 23, 3:45*pm, Lin > wrote:
> Nancy2 wrote:
> > I don't have a special cooking method, but the FIRST THING you do is
> > put it in a sink or big pan of cold water, so the worms can float to
> > the top. *There are nearly always worms, especially if you get it at a
> > farmers' market, and they are the same color as the broccoli.
>
> I always wash my broccoli -- even if I buy the bagged pre-washed and cut
> stuff.
>
> Must admit, I have NEVER seen worms in the broccoli I've gotten -- fresh
> from the farmer's market or otherwise. I always steam my broccoli and
> you would think they would be falling off into the drip pan if they were
> there.
>
> Must be an Iowa thing! ;-)
>
> --Lin

Could be ... ;-) The bunches I've bought at a supermarket (although
not in recent decades, actually) have had a single worm or two.

One of the fancy hotel private/club restaurants in Cedar Rapids served
one of my co-workers a fresh salad with a worm included once - it
crawled out onto the plate .... free meal.

N.

On Sep 23, 6:23*pm, Janet Baraclough >
wrote:
> The message t>
> from Lin > contains these words:
>
> > Nancy2 wrote:
> > > I don't have a special cooking method, but the FIRST THING you do is
> > > put it in a sink or big pan of cold water, so the worms can float to
> > > the top. *There are nearly always worms, especially if you get it at a
> > > farmers' market, and they are the same color as the broccoli.
> > I always wash my broccoli -- even if I buy the bagged pre-washed and cut
> > stuff.
> > Must admit, I have NEVER seen worms in the broccoli I've gotten -- fresh
> > from the farmer's market or otherwise.
>
> * Me neither. but since Nancy's worms are green they might be caterpillars :-)
>
> * Janet

Nope; broccoli worms (maybe they would turn into moths, but I doubt
it).

N.

On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:30:20 -0700 (PDT), aem wrote:

> On Sep 23, 12:01*pm, Sheldon > wrote:
>>
>> Because frozen produce is flash frozen in the field within an hour of
>> harvest. *So called fresh ain't fresh at all, probably more than two
>> weeks old when purchased... sat out unwrapped in the bright lights of
>> the stupidmarket continually spritzed but not even refrigerated...
>> then gets home and sits in the fridge days more, till it's limp and
>> impotent like your puny peepee.
>
> Depends on where you live and shop. The broccoli I buy at the
> Thursday farmers market was picked that morning and usually is brought
> from less than 100 miles away . On Wednesday at the earliest. The
> supermarket stuff may be several days older but certainly not two
> weeks.
>
>> [snip]
>> *Produce people know that removing the crowns from the
>> stems retards bolting, so the crowns keep from flowering longer.
>
> I don't buy just the crowns because we like the stems: cut
> diagonally and thin they're perfect in stir fries.
>>

i know i've said this before, but try marinating the slices briefly in rice
vinegar.

your pal,
blake

On Sep 24, 4:56*am, "big fish" > wrote:
> "Paul McNoob" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> > am a little wary.
>
> > I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> > where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> > that it's going bad?
>
> > I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> > fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> > Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> > certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> > cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
> > Thanks!
>
> My hubby loves broccoli the way I fix it. I get a large microwavable
> container and put about a half cup water in it. To this I add a dash of soy
> sauce and some chopped onion. I break the broccoli into eating size parts
> and put in container. I add a bit more chopped onion to this as well as some
> salt and pepper. I then slice up some margarine and place the pieces on the
> broccoli. Then I sprinkle a little powdered chicken bouillon on the
> broccoli. lightly cover and microwave for ten minutes. My husband really
> prefers this over cooking in boiling water or steaming. The stepkids love it
> also. They can almost eat an entire head each by themselves. I can't have a
> family meal without the broccoli.

10 minutes? in a microwave? Does it come out like soup?

Billy wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:45:29 -0700, Lin >
> wrote:
>
>>> I don't have a special cooking method, but the FIRST THING you do is
>>> put it in a sink or big pan of cold water, so the worms can float to
>>> the top. There are nearly always worms, especially if you get it at a
>>> farmers' market, and they are the same color as the broccoli.
>> I always wash my broccoli -- even if I buy the bagged pre-washed and cut
>> stuff.
>
> And don't forget to put a couple of tablespoons of SALT in the water.
> That really flushes out the bugs. Farmer Market broccoli SHOULD
> have worns in it. That way you know it is fresh!! No
> worms....been sitting around for a while.
>



No worms = sprayed with pesticide (which might just negate the health
benefits, ya think?)

gloria p