Brussels sprouts

Brussel sprout
Brussel sprouts, cultivar unknown
Species
Brassica oleracea
Cultivar Group
Gemmifera Group
Origin
Brussels, year unknown
Cultivar Group members
unknown

The Brussels (or brussels) sprout (Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group) of the Brassicaceae family, is a Cultivar group of wild cabbage cultivated for its small (typically 2.5–4 cm (0.98–1.6 in) diameter) leafy green buds, which resemble miniature cabbages.

Cultivation

Forerunners to modern Brussels sprouts were likely cultivated in ancient Rome. Brussels sprouts as we now know them were grown possibly as early as the 1200s in what is now Belgium.^[1] The first written reference dates to 1587.^[1] During the 16th century they enjoyed a popularity in the southern Netherlands that eventually spread throughout the cooler parts of Northern Europe.^[2]

Brussels sprouts grow in temperature ranges of 7 to 24°C (45 to 75°F), with highest yields at 15 to 18°C (59 to 64°F).^[2] Plants grow from seeds in seedbeds or greenhouses, and are transplanted to growing fields.^[2]. Fields are ready for harvest 90-180 days after planting.^[1] The edible sprouts grow like buds in a spiral array on the side of long thick stalks of approximately 60 to 120 cm (24 to 47 in) in height, maturing over several weeks from the lower to the upper part of the stalk. Sprouts may be picked by hand into baskets, in which case several harvests are made of 5-15 sprouts at a time, by cutting the entire stalk at once for processing, or by mechanical harvester, depending on variety.^[1] Each stalk can produce 1.1 to 1.4 kg (2.4 to 3.1 lb), although the commercial yield is approximately 900 g (2.0 lb) per stalk.^[2] In the home garden, "sprouts are sweetest after a good, stiff frost."^[3]

Brussels sprouts belong to the same family that includes cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi: they are cruciferous. They contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fibre. Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin^{[citation needed]}. Although they contain compounds such as goitrin that can act as goitrogens and interfere with thyroid hormone production, realistic amounts in the diet do not seem to have any effect on the function of the thyroid gland in humans.^[4]

North America

Production of Brussels sprouts in the United States began around 1800, when French settlers brought them to Louisiana.^[2] The first plantings in California's Central Coast began in the 1920s, with significant production beginning in the 1940s. Currently there are several thousand acres planted in coastal areas of San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties of California, which offer an ideal combination of coastal fog and cool temperatures year-round. The harvest season lasts from June through January.^[1][5] They are also grown in Baja California, Mexico, where the harvest season is from December through June.^[5]

Much of the United States production is in California, with a smaller percentage of the crop grown in Skagit Valley, Washington, where cool springs, mild summers and rich soil abounds and to a lesser degree on Long Island, New York.^[6] Total United States production is approximately 32,000 tons, with a value of $27 million.^[2] Ontario, Canada produces approximately 1,000 tons per year.^[7]

80% to 85% of US production is for the frozen food market, with the remainder for fresh consumption.^[6] Once harvested, sprouts last 3-5 weeks under ideal near-freezing conditions before wilting and discoloring, and about half as long at refrigerator temperature.^[2] American varieties are generally 2.5–5 cm (0.98–2.0 in) in diameter.^[2]

Europe

Europeans prefer smaller varieties with bulbs approximately 1.3 cm (0.51 in) in diameter.^[2] In Continental Europe the largest producers are the Netherlands, at 82,000 metric tons, and Germany, at 10,000 tons. The United Kingdom has production comparable to that of the Netherlands, but it is not generally exported. ^[8]

Cooking and preparation

The most common method of preparing Brussel sprouts for cooking begins with removal of the buds from the stalk. Any surplus stem is cut away, and the surface leaves that are loosened by this cutting are peeled and discarded. Cooking methods include boiling, steaming and roasting. To ensure even cooking throughout, buds of a similar size are usually chosen. Some cooks will cut a cross in center of the stem to aid the penetration.

Whatever cooking method is employed, overcooking is avoided. Overcooking releases the glucosinolate sinigrin, which has a sulfurous odor. The odor is the reason many people^[who?] profess to dislike Brussel sprouts, if they've only tried them overcooked with the accompanying sulfuric taste and smell. Generally 6–7 minutes boiled or steamed is enough to cook them thoroughly, without overcooking and releasing the sinigrin.

Gallery

A field of Brussel sprouts after harvest

Brussel sprouts on the stalk

Brussel sprouts on stalks

References

External links

• PROTAbase on Brassica oleracea (Brussel sprouts)
• Cultural information on brussel sprouts for the home garden From the experts at Learn2Grow
• Brassica oleracea gemmifera - Plants For a Future database entry
• Brussel Sprouts - recommendations for maintaining postharvest quality (UC Davis)
• Brussel Sprouts Nutrition - nutritional information on raw Brussel Sprouts.

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