White sprouting broccoli 2
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Discoveries, Vegetables | 12 comments
Photo: White sprouting broccolt
The taste of really fresh purple sprouting broccoli from the garden is only beaten by the flavour of sweet white sprouting broccoli. John Coe gives us broccoli plants each year in July. They need to be covered with nets or the birds will strip the young leaves clean within a few days. They also need to be protected from the cabbage white caterpillar. Apart from those two key rules they are easy to grow as long as you know that they will not produce their delicate spears until April of the following year.
A lot of my clients have planted them and dug them up at the end of the summer as they didn’t read the seed packet carefully enough. Broccoli takes at least nine months to produce its succulent spears.
Luckily, John Coe explained how long they would take to grow. He was extremely enthusiastic about growing our own.
“Apart from being very expensive, the stuff that’s available in the supermarkets can be bitter as it’s often not super fresh. Grow this, Fiona. It’s great to harvest at the end of the winter. You’ll never regret it. I can guarantee that once you taste it, you will cultivate brocolli every year.” And we have.
I must admit that I was dubious. Like every newcomer to growing vegetables I wanted results within weeks. But as we’d been given the plants I said nothing. They sat on a large patch of ground, looking interesting and unproductive.
But when April came we tasted the spears and fell in love with this vegetable. We’d now never ever consider dropping it from our vegetable repertoire. Thank you John Coe, home grown sprouting broccoli is the ultimate treat at the start of Spring.
We never know whether we are being given white or purple sprouting broccoli plants by John. I did mention last year, well hinted actually, that we prefer the white sprouting broc. When he brought the plants this summer, I didn’t like to ask whether they were white or purple. But was delighted a couple of weeks ago when I saw the white florets coming through.
First mini feast this evening. Snap the floret at the top of each plant to encourage the plant to develop loads of side shoots. Pick like mad from the top, as the more that you harvest the spears the more the plant will produce. If you are on the ball on the picking front, you could have a harvest period that lasts six weeks. Sprouting broccoli also freezes well, if you have a glut.
White sprouting broccoli plants are smaller then purple sprouting ones. The cabbage white caterpillars agree that they taste much better. They are so easy to grow so why not try some in your garden this year?
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Hello Domestic Executive
Thanks for dropping by.
The white sprouting broccoli tastes far sweeter than the purple. The yield is much smaller (about 50% per plant) but if I had the choice I would always grow the white. Really splendid stuff that you can’t buy commercially in the UK.
Hello Sara
Well worth hunting for these seeds. The flavour is so delicate and special.
Hi Free
I’m very lucky to have John Coe to help me. I’ve know him since I was eight years old (that’s 47 years) But he’s only been helping me with my garden for the last sixteen years! He’s in his late seventies now and has been vegetable gardening for the last 50 years ?
Hello Mr Dirty Boots
Why not grow both? The harvest is much smaller from the white sprouting broccoli plants. There are just the two of us so eight plants suit us fine. But if you want to feed more it might be worth growing the two types.
Hello Kate(uk)
YES. It’s well worth growing your own sprouting broccoli even if that’s all you grow.
Hi Magic Cochin
Oh do grow some this year. You resent the space when you put it in during July but it stands there stoically all winter and just when you are desperate for some home grown veg it produces the sweetest spears.
Hi Julian
I’ve never seen it in the shops. It’s a wonderful vegetable. Sometimes I eat it like asparagus with a homemade Hollandaise sauce.
Hi Natasha
Brilliant. Doesn’t it taste so much better than the stale stuff that available commercially?
Hello Belinda
If you can find the white sprouting broc seed your son will love it – an elegant, gentle vegetable.
I grew just plain green sprouting last year, but the family thought it looked odd.. they are used to it looking like a great head of green… son took a while before he would touch it. This is why I havent tried white or purple… but since you have tempt me with this post, I will look for seed.
i have just grown my first purple sprouting broc from seed, been picking this week – amazing!!!
must agree white sprouting much better than purple unfortunately it is very hard to find in shops so must grow your own.
We had some last night, bought from the farm stall in Cottenham. Steak, potato wedges, white and purple broccoli, a creamy sauce – heaven!
This year I must grow some.
Celia
Fresh broccoli is divine.
Sounds great. I have purple sprouting brocolli growing but will give this a try next year. Fresh brocolli is amazingly tasty.
I want a John Coe too!!
Wonderful topic! Broccoli is by far my most favoured veg!
I already have purples sprouting under cover but I shall seek out whites and give them a go, thanks for the suggestion.
I didn’t know there was white broccoli. I’ve starting my first potager this year and regular green broccoli was my first harvest. http://www.domestic-executive.com/?p=2175
It was most definitely better than the supermarket so next year I’m going to try the purple and white sprouting versions as you’ve suggested. That’s if I can get them here in New Zealand.
Found your blog by way of my Dad who was checking out whether my Grandfather’s secret to ripening green tomatoes was true. He sent me a linke to your post!
Am working my way back through your archives. It’s an inspiration.