broccoli glut

[hawthorns]

can it be frozen successfully.

[perkin]

I think it would go mushy when defrosted. Make broccoli soup and then freeze that??

[Potstubsdustbins]

I have never frozen broccoli but calabrese freezes really well.


Colin.

[Gemmalaveen]

I agree... broccoli does not freeze well. Frozen broccoli from the supermarket goes mushy and I imagine they try all kinds of tricks to keep it from doing so.

You could add it to pickles/relishes/chutney or make batches of tomato-based pasta sauces and pop some broccoli in that... I do this with all my extra courgettes and freeze.

[rustylady]

can it be frozen successfully.

Do you mean sprouting broccoli or calabrese?

[bethduckie]

Damn the whole broccoli/ calabrese confusion.

[bethduckie]

Ok, I've bought green 'what everyone calls broccoli but is apparently really called calabrese' frozen before and it's tasted ok. Obviously the freezing does affect the texture, you'll never get that lovely al dente vegetableyness you would get with fresh, but it would be perfectly acceptable in a mixed veg, or in broccoli cheese or bagged and frozen for addition to soups or whatever.

I've never tried it with (sprouting) broccoli and never bought (or seen, tbh) frozen sprouting broccoli so I assume it isn't a good plan.

A broccoli glut though, how excellent! I have four broccoli (ok, calabrese... come on, y'all, everyone calls it broccoli!!) heads coming at the moment, currently teeny but with any luck they will come on nicely now. And I planted them nice and early this year so perhaps later in the season I'll get some side shoots as well? Hurrah! Last year I planted a whole row of broccoli but ended up with two depressed looking plants. Both produced a lovely head though so I needn't have worried.

[Florence Fennel]

I freeze calabrese (big headed floret), blanche it only for a couple of seconds and then steam for a few minutes from frozen. I've never tried it with PSB (small florets), but I would imagine it would be ok with the same treatment.

[Snadger]

To confuse issues more,the stuff sold in Tesco's as broccoli is actually calabrese!

As far as I know the difference is that broccoli is hardy and usually overwinters and calabrese isn't and is susceptable to frost!

[binley100]

I freeze psb , then steam it from frozen .. I can't see why you can't freeze calabese it's not that much different from cauli. The thing with frozen veg is that it's best cooked from frozen and not defrosted first....

[Potstubsdustbins]

To further add to the confusion is not calabrese also called Italian Broccoli

Colin

[binley100]

look it up in wikipedia ......then you'll be really confused.......

[endymion]

We do the same as binley and freeze it without blanching, steam it from frozen.

[Loudbarker1]

As far as I know the difference is that broccoli is hardy and usually overwinters and calabrese isn't and is susceptable to frost!

And, of course, PSB tastes wonderful and calebrase is an abomination

[chris]

I freeze PSB fine.. Not had it go mushy, I don't blanche either.