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Cabbage Family

BROCCOLI


Broccoli, the Italian branch of the cabbage family, was not widely knownor used in the United States until about 25 years ago. In 1920 Stephen andAndrew D'Arrigo planted trial fields of broccoli in California using seedsimported from Italy. Today, America's largest grower of broccoli is D'ArrigoBros. Co., which farms more than five thousand acres near Salinas. The surroundingarea from Santa Barbara to just below San Francisco produces almost 90 percentof the nation's annual production. Broccoli loves the the coastal belt cooledconsistently with blankets of fog. Sixty years ago fresh broccoli couldbe purchased only in Italian neighborhoods. Today it is one of our best-sellingfresh, as well as frozen, vegetables.

While California is by far the number one producer of fresh broccoli, substantialcrops are produced in Texas, Oregon, and Arizona. Fresh broccoli is availabletwelve months of the year, with the peak of season from October throughMay. The light part of the season is usually July and August, but suppliesare usually adequate to meet the demand.

When shopping for broccoli, the key words are firm and green. The undesirablewords are limp and yellow. Top quality broccoli has firm, compact clustersof dark green buds. In some varieties the buds have a slightly purplishhue, which is a mark of quality. Never purchase broccoli that has startedto yellow and especially avoid broccoli that has buds that have opened upand show tiny yellow flowers.

Broccoli is fairly perishable and when it isn't fresh it loses flavor. Don'tpurchase broccoli more than a day or two prior to use, and in the interimwrap it with plastic film and store it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.Broccoli is not only an excellent cooked vegetable, it may be served rawin salads or with dips.

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