Broccoli contains many nutrients–such as vitamins, minerals and fiber—but what broccoli you buy, how you store it, and how you cook your broccoli can all affect the nutritional benefits…especially the amount of vitamin C…that the vegetable will provide….something that we really don’t want to do this because we can get 84% of our RDI by eating just half a cup of cooked broccoli…more than the amount of vitamin C found in half of an orange….which means that you can get the same amount without having to stand there and peel an orange for twenty minutes.
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Choosing Broccoli
When shopping for broccoli, look for broccoli with the firmest and deepest colored “florets.”because these will contain the greater amount of antioxidants and other nutrients. Also look for “florets” clusters that are compact and not bruised.
Look for stalks and stems that are firm with no slimy spots. Make sure that the leaves are still attached, and are brightly colored and haven’t wilted.
Never buy broccoli that has any yellow visible. This means that the broccoli has passed its prime.
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Storing Broccoli
Store your broccoli in your vegetable crisper, unwashed in a plastic bag, having removed as much of the air from the bag as possible after cramming the broccoli in there. Broccoli will stay good as long as you keep it in the fridge for about a week, but it will be better if you use within a few days.
Do not wash broccoli before storing because this will make it go bad faster.
To store broccoli in your freezer…not that frozen broccoli from the store only costs how much?!_..blanch it and stick it in the freezer…where it will stay good for to a year.
To store broccoli in your freezer…not that frozen broccoli from the store only costs how much?!_..blanch it and stick it in the freezer…where it will stay good for to a year.
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Cooking Methods
Broccoli contains many nutrients–such as vitamins, minerals and fiber—but how you cook your broccoli—or whether or not you do cook your broccoli—can affect its nutritional value…especially the amount of vitamin C that the vegetable will provide….we don’t want to do this because we can get 84% of our RDI by eating just half a cup of cooked broccoli…more than the amount of vitamin C found in half of an orange.
Of course, broccoli can be eaten raw…but those of us who have not embraced the raw foods diet or don’t feel like chewing broccoli because it can get tiresome, let’s think back on cooking methods—such as steaming, roasting, stir-frying, and microwaving.
And broccoli can be prepared by many different cooking methods—including boiling, microwaving, stir-frying and steaming, alter the vegetable’s nutrient composition, particularly reducing vitamin C, as well as soluble protein and sugar.
The cooking method that you use can affect the nutritional value and health benefits that you get from eating the broccoli. For example, boiling can take away up to 90% of the valuable nutrients from your broccoli,
The cooking methods that will maintain the most nutritional value in your broccoli are…
- microwaving
- roasting
- steaming
- stir-frying
The more you cook your broccoli, the softer and more mushy it will be…not only that the broccoli will also begin to lose its flavor and nutrients the longer it cooks.
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Steaming Broccoli
Perhaps the best method of cooking broccoli would be to steam it. Steaming your broccoli will help it maintain its high vitamin C level. Steam your broccoli no more than five minutes.
First slice the stems lengthwise…even though yours truly had been slicing the stems horizontally for how long(?!)
Most people do not eat the leaves of the broccolii, but the leaves are perfectly edible and contain concentrated amounts of nutrients.
Fill the bottom of your pan…(more on steaming here)…with 2″ of water.
Steam the stems for a couple of minutes before adding the florets and leaves.
The steam for four more minutes.
