How to store broccoli?

Having collected or bought broccoli, many begin to think about effective methods for storing such cabbage. This issue is especially interesting for those who live in an apartment and do not have a cellar or basement where vegetables could be put. We will talk about the most popular ways of storing broccoli in the article.

Before making recommendations regarding the storage of broccoli cabbage, it is worth noting that not all varieties are equally suitable for this. So, it is impractical to store early varieties. They will sit for about two weeks and then start to deteriorate. But the late varieties of broccoli can be stored. They are able to lie for about 2-3 months under the right conditions.

In addition to choosing a variety, you also need to choose the right vegetable itself if you buy it in a store. Here are the main features of good specimens:

• rich dark green color scheme;
• head size - no more than 15 centimeters;
• there are no deformations, light areas on the heads;
• specimens are compressed, not friable;
• small buds are located along the edge of the fork, while the central ones are larger.

The same methods for determining maturity are used when harvesting from their own garden. It is necessary to harvest crops from the beds in cloudy weather, but in no case after rain or irrigation. Wet cabbage forks are very susceptible to rotting processes.

Having collected the cabbage, it must be immediately placed in a cool room. Harvests left warm spoil in a few hours... In the area where the cabbage is to be folded, high-quality ventilation should be organized. If the air temperature in the room is from 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, the crop will stay there for no more than 8 days. Under conditions of plus 1-3 degrees, the safety of the crop can be ensured for a month and a half. Longer periods are obtained only when the vegetable is frozen.

The room where the broccoli will be stored must be clean... Before use, the basement should be cleaned, free of dust. Next, the storage area is disinfected. For this, antifungal compounds are used. You can take Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate. The container into which you will put the forks must be rinsed with running water, rinsed with boiling water and treated with the same antifungal agent.

The air temperature in the cellar should be between 0 and +3 degrees. Sharp jumps in temperature are not allowed, humidity indicators must also be stable. Proper ventilation is also required.

Before storing broccoli, carefully examine it. Instances with mold are discarded immediately, as they can infect healthy cabbage. Dirt and sand from the forks is cleaned off with a brush or soft cloth, very carefully so as not to damage the crop.

You can store broccoli on shelves or in drawers. In the first storage method, take thick dry paper, wrap each vegetable with it. The wrapped forks are then laid out on the shelves. You do not need to pick off the fresh outer leaves, so you will be able to keep the cabbage fresh for longer. But if they have signs of decay, then they will have to get rid of in any case. Every few days, the paper in which the cabbage is wrapped is inspected. If it gets wet, it must be replaced immediately.

Those who live in an apartment and do not have a personal cellar will have to invent new methods of how to store broccoli at home. Note that there will be only two suitable places here: a refrigerator and a freezer.

Fresh broccoli should be refrigerated immediately after purchase. It is recommended to do this within half an hour, because then there will be no chances to keep the vegetable for a long time. There are several methods for storing broccoli in the refrigerator.

• In the package. You need to clean the broccoli from dirt and dust, and then remove the petiole. You do not need to wash the forks as they will deteriorate faster. Next, the vegetables are folded into polyethylene bags, several holes are made in the container for air. One package should contain one forks. Containers with cabbage are folded into the freshness zone without tying the bags. There they can lie for up to a week.

• In water. You need to take small bowls, pour water into them. The liquid level should be no more than 2 centimeters. Then cabbage forks are placed in the container with the stem down. A plastic bag is put on the vegetable, several holes are also made in it. Put it in the refrigerator. The fluid in the containers should be changed daily. This storage method will keep the cabbage fresh for 7-9 days.

• In a paper towel. You need to moisten the broccoli a little; you can use a spray bottle to do this. Then the forks are wrapped in a paper towel, each one separately. It is not necessary to wrap it tightly, otherwise the culture will begin to rot. Then the forks are put in the refrigerator, and they have to be checked daily. This technique is short-lived: it will only be possible to save vegetables for a maximum of 4-5 days.

• In foil... This material is great if the forks need to be kept in the refrigerator for 15-30 days. Broccoli, unwashed but free from dirt, is wrapped one by one in foil and sent to the freshness zone. Checks are carried out every couple of days. If the cabbage has darkened or turned yellow, then you need to get it out and use it for cooking. You cannot store such a vegetable further.

Keeping broccoli fresh for the winter can only be done by freezing it. If you properly prepare and freeze cabbage, then it will retain all its useful qualities for a period of 6-12 months. Let's consider the technique step by step.

1. First of all, the cabbage is washed well. All dirt is removed, and it is also necessary to remove foliage and stems. Each fork is disassembled into separate inflorescences.
2. Next, stir a spoonful of salt in a liter of cool water... Parts of the inflorescences are immersed in this solution for half an hour. The salt acts as a disinfectant, removing dirt and possible parasites. After soaking, the cabbage is washed again under running water.
3. Simultaneously with washing, the liquid is heated in a large container. After waiting for a boil, broccoli inflorescences are immersed there, literally for 120 seconds. After this time, the cabbage is taken out and placed in very cold water. It should be noted that blanching is an optional procedure. However, thanks to her, the cabbage turns out to be much tastier later, and its color is brighter and more pleasant.
4. After processing with ice water, spread the cabbage on a towel and wait until it is completely dry. Then the inflorescences are laid out on a large tray and placed in the freezer. With the fast freezing function, the procedure takes only 60 minutes. After its completion, the tray is taken out, and the parts of the forks are laid out in portions in bags. And put it in the freezer again.

There are several other options for saving broccoli for the winter. The most popular of these is drying. Let's see how it is done correctly.

1. It is worth starting everything as if you were preparing the cabbage for freezing.... The forks are washed, treated with salt, blanched and dried.
2. Then the prepared cabbage inflorescences are immersed in an oven.... The vegetables are placed on the grid, then the device is started. You can determine the readiness of the cabbage by tasting it with your fingers. The inflorescences must be plump, but the juice cannot flow from them. If everything is so, the fruits can be laid for storage. For this, they usually take glass jars or other containers with sealed lids.
3. If there is no drying cabinet, then you can use the oven.... You need to take a baking sheet, cover it with baking paper. Then cabbage is placed there, and in one layer. The temperature is set at 60 degrees, convection is turned on. The oven door must be opened a little so that the air saturated with moisture does not circulate directly in the oven. It takes 2 to 4 hours to dry cabbage under such conditions, checking regularly. If the time is exceeded, the forks will begin to crumble.

Dried cabbage retains its benefits and color for 12 months. Other storage methods are less popular because they change the taste of the product. This can include, for example, canning or pickling vegetables. Each housewife has her own methods, but freshness can only be ensured through storage in a cellar, refrigerator or freezer.