PSB Flowers

[womble]

How far advanced can the psb heads be before you can't eat them?
I went away for a couple of days and some of the damn things* started flowering, I've chucked away the open flowers but we have some advanced stage flower heads that aren't open, can we eat those.

I'm sure this is a stupid question, as I'm equally sure it's ok to eat them. Just checking


* Note, atm they are damned things, 3 weeks ago, they were my beautiful huge PSB plants and I was so proud of them. Now I'm sick of PSB and wish they would finish so I can get my bean bed built

[gojiberry]

You can eat them at any stage, its just the more open the flowers the less appealing they are as a veg. If you have had your fill of them then hoy them out and get on with the bean bed.

Ian

[womble]

Thanks for the info, I'll leave them for another week I think till I am totally sick of them, then a whole nother 9 months to wait in anticipation of the next psb crop.

[Snadger]

What I have found is that the initial shoots have leaves and the purple bit! Later pickings have no leaves just elongated stems and purple bits. Think I'l chop up a leaf with the most recent lot to give the illusion of stems and leaves!

PS Wonders if there is a variety that throws up only 'stocky' shoots?

[lottie dolly]

i picked the last of mine 2 weeks ago,small leaves and the sprouty bit's just before they go to seed,they were very tasty,i have quite a bit in the freezer now,will do nicely for soup,hot pots,stir fryes ext., later in the year when a change of taste buds is needed,

[janeyo]

Mine are all finished and been devoured by the chooks, except for 2 plants which are still producing the little shoots with no leaves. I like the bud bits the best so no hardship to just eat that bit

[Lottieval]

I pick a few kale leaves to go with the sprouty bits, or sometimes a few leaves from lower down if they're not too tough. Also put any excess in the freezer.

[womble]

Well I found out why you don't eat the ones that have flowered, some of the ends were really tough, would have been OK if I had harvested them by snapping and not cutting.

They've all gone now, bean bed is built and almost filled.

Snadger I find even with the same variety, a huge difference between the plants.

Amazingly janeyo, my new chickens have decided they don't like brassicas I can hardly believe it, any previous feathered citizens of the garden would have eaten it before you had the time to take your fingers out of the way.
Mind you this lot don't like bread either. They did decide that all the gone to seed perpetual spinach was ok, after sniffing it for a while.
They are weird this new lot. They actually fit in very well here.