Introduction:

Tap its head with the tips of your first 2 fingers together. Fresh broccoli heads will feel dense to the tap test and have a tight green, bead appearence. The broccoli should feel heavy for its size and its stalk firm. The cut ends of the stalks should be fresh and moist.

Old, unfresh broccoli , will feel soft under the tap test. Avoid broccoli with dried out or browning stem ends, yellowing color and loose bead appearence on the heads.

What to do with it…

Store broccoli unwashed in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator. If bought very fresh (i.e. at a farmers market) broccoli will keep up to 10 days. Need to extend that storage another day or so ? Treat them like flowers! Cut an inch off the bottom stalk and place it in a container of water, in the frig.

Why it is good for you…

Don’t be a hater !...Why hate broccoli when its high in many nutrients, including fiber,  vitamin C, K, iron and potassium?

Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C,  a good source of folate (folic acid) and also  provides potassium, fiber. Vitamin C – builds  collagen, which forms body tissue and bone,  and helps cuts and wounds heal.

Broccoli has long been touted as one of the healthiest veggies because of its nutritional makeup. This superfood is loaded with fiber,  antioxidants to fight cancer, and vitamin C to  aid in iron absorption.

Vitamins it has…

Cool Idea & Recipes

Broccoli is great steamed or in in the raw. Precool, rinse and trim bit size florets or place  them in a steam pot (any pot with a lid and a rack to  float the broccoli above the hot water.  Steaming  over boiling is better in that you are not boiling out  the valuable vitamins, nutrients and even flavor.

Tip: Guys, don't let your chick see you boiling your broccoli like some clueless rookie in the kitchen.  Try actually under cooking with steam heat.  Its done  you can stick it with a fork with realative ease…Butter it up and some salt n peppa will make your dish  stand out.

Did you know it ?

Broccoli is Italian.  Grown mainly in Italy since the  Roman Empire, broccoli made its move in the 16th century when a royal marriage brought it  to France.

The name broccoli is derived from the Italian word  “braccio,” which means “arm.”

Today, California produces almost all of the broccoli sold in the United States.