The sprouts are usually closely packed and with no loose leaves.īrussels sprouts are primarily an autumn cool weather crop. The bright green cabbage-shaped sprouts are 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5cm) in diameter. The sprouts are eaten cooked as a side dish or they can be added to soups, stews, or stir-fries.īrussels sprouts are leggy plants that grow 30 to 36 inches tall and nearly as wide. It is an erect, thick single-stalked plant with a leafy top and at the base of the lower leafstalks appear “buttons” or buds that are small, miniature cabbage head-like balls. If the weather turns beastly we pick whole stems and keep them in a cold room for a side dish on December 25.Time planting so that Brussels does not grow in periods of extended warm weather much above 70°.īrussels sprouts–called sprouts by some and thousand-headed cabbage by others–are a peculiar member of the cabbage family. In Maine we count on them as an early winter treat, and it has become a tradition to have buttered Brussels sprouts on our Christmas table. Even when ice and snow cause the big floppy leaves to sag, those little elfin Cabbages clustered about the stem are still firm and sweet. Most of the Brassica family-such as Kale, Cabbage, Broccoli and Mustard Greens-are famously frost tolerant, but Brussels Sprouts are among the most stalwart. We serve them on Christmas Day! If very cold weather threatens, cut the entire stalk, bring indoors and store it in the fridge. You’ll be able to pick the sprouts all during the fall and early winter. So, if you want a long, late harvest, leave the top alone. These would normally droop down over the sprouts, protecting them from frost. Bear in mind however that this will remove the protective leaves at the top of the stem. If you want your Brussels Sprouts to mature quickly and uniformly, nip off the top at the time the lowest ones on the stem are nearly harvest size. The same site as other Brassicas for 4 years. A member of the Brassicaįamily, Brussels Sprouts should not be grown in Growing top of the plant, forcing the entire stem To harvest all the sprouts at once, pinch the Stem, allowing the higher ones to keep growing. Sweet and tightly-wrapped, starting low on the Fertilizer lightly: too much nitrogen canĬause mottling and black centers in the sprouts.įor gradual harvest, cut sprouts while small, Out in well-draining, moderately fertile soil in full By late spring/early summer, approximatelyġ2 weeks before the first fall frost, plant Plant 3 toĤ seeds per 3" pot in a sterilized seed mix. Deer resistant.įor best results, raise as transplants, sowing seedsĦ to 8 weeks before the set out date, in a cool For more hearty fare, try our Heavenly Sprouts: steamed, dried and sautéed with bacon batons and sliced Onions. Flip them over, and roast for another 12 minutes until sweetly caramelized (pop in mouth like candy). Roast them for 12 minutes on a metal tray in a preheated 425☏ oven. Or, roast whole Brussels Sprouts to detonate their sweet nuttiness: toss them lightly in olive oil, coarse sea salt and black pepper. Serve Union Square Cafe’s Hashed Brussels Sprouts with Poppy Seeds and Lemon (thunderous applause). Convert your whole family into Brussels Sprouts aficionados. Or, pinch the growing top and harvest the entire stem. Resist the temptation to grow giant sprouts! Enjoy them young and tender, harvesting while small and tightly-wrapped low on the stem, allowing the higher ones to remain. The sprouts make "antifreeze" to cope with the cold, and the antifreeze happens to be sugar! Raise as transplants, sowing Brussels Sprouts seeds in a cool greenhouse or in a protected growing area, planting out into the garden 12 weeks before the first fall frost. Faithful fans love them, particularly when their innate sweetness is brought out after a frost. These mini-Brassicas grow on long stiff stems, vaguely resembling Martian walking sticks.
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