Harvest of the Month: Broccoli
If you’ve finally taken your mom’s advice and started eating broccoli, you’re in good company. Broccoli consumption in the U.S. has reportedly increased more than 940 percent in the last 25 years. This increase likely is due to the fact that the vitamin and nutrient-packed veggie has been praised as a “superfood” that helps fight cancer.
While it’s an ancient food source (it’s been around for about 2,000 years), broccoli has only been grown in the U.S. for a couple of centuries. First cultivated on the nation’s East Coast, it eventually made its way west, and now roughly 90 percent of all U.S. broccoli production takes place in California, where they grow about 1.8 billion pounds of it each year.
How To Pick Out Broccoli:
To pick out the best broccoli, choose floret clusters that are a consistent color, nice and tightly clustered and free of bruises. Look for firm and consistently-colored stems and stalks, and avoid any stalks that have slimy spots on them. If you see yellow flowers on a broccoli stem, pass it by, that means the broccoli is overripe.
How To Store Broccoli:
Storing broccoli is simple: Put it in a plastic bag, remove as much air as possible, and place it in the refrigerator. It should be good for about seven days.
Try broccoli in this Broccoli Soup recipe!
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