Brussels!
If you were like me in my former life, your nose is probably turned up too. Brussel sprouts were one of those vegetables that many of us have had to sit at the table for seemingly hours before we would get excused as a child. Well not for our kids! That’s because rather than serving mushy green slimeballs, we make them right!
Every year, we get a picture of our Brussel sprouts with our children. Over the years, we have caught this girl nibbling on them when they are still growing in the garden!
First of all, do you know what a Brussel sprout plant looks like? I didn’t until I grew them for the first time! Although the heads resemble mini cabbages, Brussel sprout plants tower over everything in the garden. The stalks grow several feet high, with a little heads growing at the nodule of each leaf. (Tip: Be sure to plant the Brussel sprouts on the north side of your garden to prevent them from shading out other plants.) Often we get over 100 sprouts off a single stalk, with our family record of 160.
All ages can enjoy Brussel sprouts!
Although we typically don’t harvest Brussel sprouts until after the first frost, that doesn’t mean we throw the seeds in the ground and forget about them. Despite being one of the last things we eat out of the garden, they are the first seeds we plant. The maturity time for Brussel sprouts from seed is 90-115 days AFTER transplanting, requiring us to plant seeds in early March. So we set up lights in the house to grow long before we can transplant outside. On the bright side (pun intended), we can grow microgreens as well, which I’ll share in a blog post early next year. (Tip: Avoid the temptation of transplanting less than 24 inches apart. Although the plants look small now, I assure you they need AT LEAST that much spacing. It took us three years before we harvested any Brussel sprouts bigger than a pea because we kept planting them too close together.) Even after we transplant, my husband diligently checks the leaves several times a week for worms. I am entrusted with this task only when he is traveling across the globe. But I learned immediately that this is necessary - the very first leaf I checked had eight worms on it!
I mentioned a few weeks ago in my teaser for this post that Brussel sprouts get better after the first frost - how does that work? Brussel sprouts have a high starch content to begin with. When temperatures dip below freezing, the Brussel sprout plant converts the starch to sugar to prevent its cells from freezing.
Here’s a relative of the Brussel sprout - the Brussel kale. Even my strong husband struggles at pulling out the large plants. Tip: Use a hedge trimmer to cut the base of the plant then use a shovel to dig out the root.
Finally, I’ll share with you a simple way to prepare Brussel sprouts without having to douse in butter, cover in bacon, or drench in sauce. And don’t take my word for it - try it and don’t be surprised if you become converted like many of our dinner guests. Although we occasionally roast them, our family prefers to steam them. After trimming them off the stalk (so they are fresh, not wilted), we rinse them, then cut large heads in half or even quarters so all the heads are a similar size (ideally about 1 inch in diameter equivalent). After placing a steamer insert into a pot, we put the Brussel sprouts in the pot, sprinkle a little salt on top, then add 3/4 inch of water in the pot. After the water begins to boil, we reduce the heat on the stove to maintain a boil for seven minutes, then turn off the burner and allow the Brussel sprouts to continue steaming for another five minutes before enjoying!