FoodFood InformationVegetablesCabbage Family
Brussels sprouts are the newest members of the cabbage family, havingbeen around for only a few hundred years. They grow on a very unusual yetattractive plant that from a distance looks a bit like a miniature greenpapaya tree. The leaves are on the top of the plant and the tiny heads (calledsprouts) completely surround the stalk. Brussels sprouts look like miniatureheads of green cabbage.
Brussels sprouts thrive in cool, damp weather and for some reason are attheir best when grown not too far from the ocean. California is by far thenumber one source, but America does import a fair amount from Mexico duringthe winter months. During the fall until the first fairly heavy frost, LongIsland in New York has a large, top quality crop. The peak of the Californiaseason is from October through March; there is some slackening of suppliesduring the summer months. However, if fresh ones aren't available or areoverpriced, frozen Brussels sprouts are one of our better frozen vegetables.
Most fresh Brussels sprouts are marketed in sixteen-ounce, film-covered,waxed-paper cups. As with fresh broccoli, it's go on green and avoid yellow.The smaller, firmer, and greener the sprout, the better the flavor. Soft,flabby ones, even if green, are less desirable than the hard, compact sprouts.Those with yellow leaves are undesirable.
Fresh sprouts aren't very perishable and should last for at least a weekif you store them in the coolest area of your refrigerator.
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