How to Keep Broccoli Fresh
Make a broccoli bouquet., Wrap your broccoli in damp paper towels., Keep your broccoli in a ventilated bag., Wash homegrown broccoli, but not store-bought broccoli., Get your broccoli in the fridge as quick as possible.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make a broccoli bouquet.
One unconventional but surprisingly effective way to keep your broccoli fresh is similar to the way you might keep a selection of flowers in a bouquet bright and lively.
Simply put your head of broccoli, stem down, into a bowl with a half inch or so of water at the bottom.
The "bushy" part of the broccoli (the head) should point up, out of the bowl.
Refrigerate.
Storing your broccoli this way should keep it fresh for about five to seven days.For optimum freshness, cover the broccoli head loosely with a plastic bag containing a few holes so that air can pass through.
Change the water daily. -
Step 2: Wrap your broccoli in damp paper towels.
Another option for keeping your broccoli fresh mimics the freshening effect of the automatic misters you may have seen in your grocery store's produce section.
Fill a clean, empty spray bottle (one that hasn't previously been filled with bleach or other caustic cleaning products) with cold water, then gently mist your broccoli's heads.
Loosely wrap the heads with a paper towel so that the towel absorbs some of the moisture.
Keep the broccoli in the fridge.
It should remain fresh for about three days.Don't wrap the broccoli too tightly with the paper towels and don't keep it in a sealed container.
Broccoli needs air flow to stay fresh. , If you don't have the time or patience for the methods above, don't worry — it's easy to keep your broccoli reasonably fresh with nothing more than an ordinary plastic bag.
Simply seal your broccoli in the bag, then poke numerous holes in the bag near the broccoli's head to ensure good air flow.
Keep the broccoli refrigerated.
The broccoli should stay fresh for at least a few days with this method. , When it comes to storing broccoli, a little moisture can be a good thing, but excess moisture can be quite bad.
Wetness can promote mold growth in as little as a few days, making a perfectly good head of broccoli inedible.
For this reason, you'll want to avoid washing fresh broccoli that you buy from the store, as this has already been washed and dried and thus requires no additional cleaning.
However, you will want to wash broccoli that you grow yourself to remove tiny insects and debris from the garden.
After washing your homegrown broccoli, be sure to dry it thoroughly to prevent mold.
To wash homegrown broccoli, mix warm (not hot) water and a few teaspoons of white vinegar in a large bowl.
Soak the broccoli for about 15 minutes to kill any small bugs and remove any debris that may be hiding in the plant's tightly-packed florets.
Remove, rinse with cool water, and dry thoroughly before refrigerating., Regardless of how you choose to store your broccoli, one thing will always be the same — you'll want to get it into the fridge as soon as you can.
Some sources recommend that even fresh store-bought broccoli should make it into the refrigerator within 30 minutes of purchase.The quicker your broccoli gets into the fridge, the less of a chance it will have to begin to lose its firm, crisp texture and the longer it will last before going bad. -
Step 3: Keep your broccoli in a ventilated bag.
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Step 4: Wash homegrown broccoli
-
Step 5: but not store-bought broccoli.
-
Step 6: Get your broccoli in the fridge as quick as possible.
Detailed Guide
One unconventional but surprisingly effective way to keep your broccoli fresh is similar to the way you might keep a selection of flowers in a bouquet bright and lively.
Simply put your head of broccoli, stem down, into a bowl with a half inch or so of water at the bottom.
The "bushy" part of the broccoli (the head) should point up, out of the bowl.
Refrigerate.
Storing your broccoli this way should keep it fresh for about five to seven days.For optimum freshness, cover the broccoli head loosely with a plastic bag containing a few holes so that air can pass through.
Change the water daily.
Another option for keeping your broccoli fresh mimics the freshening effect of the automatic misters you may have seen in your grocery store's produce section.
Fill a clean, empty spray bottle (one that hasn't previously been filled with bleach or other caustic cleaning products) with cold water, then gently mist your broccoli's heads.
Loosely wrap the heads with a paper towel so that the towel absorbs some of the moisture.
Keep the broccoli in the fridge.
It should remain fresh for about three days.Don't wrap the broccoli too tightly with the paper towels and don't keep it in a sealed container.
Broccoli needs air flow to stay fresh. , If you don't have the time or patience for the methods above, don't worry — it's easy to keep your broccoli reasonably fresh with nothing more than an ordinary plastic bag.
Simply seal your broccoli in the bag, then poke numerous holes in the bag near the broccoli's head to ensure good air flow.
Keep the broccoli refrigerated.
The broccoli should stay fresh for at least a few days with this method. , When it comes to storing broccoli, a little moisture can be a good thing, but excess moisture can be quite bad.
Wetness can promote mold growth in as little as a few days, making a perfectly good head of broccoli inedible.
For this reason, you'll want to avoid washing fresh broccoli that you buy from the store, as this has already been washed and dried and thus requires no additional cleaning.
However, you will want to wash broccoli that you grow yourself to remove tiny insects and debris from the garden.
After washing your homegrown broccoli, be sure to dry it thoroughly to prevent mold.
To wash homegrown broccoli, mix warm (not hot) water and a few teaspoons of white vinegar in a large bowl.
Soak the broccoli for about 15 minutes to kill any small bugs and remove any debris that may be hiding in the plant's tightly-packed florets.
Remove, rinse with cool water, and dry thoroughly before refrigerating., Regardless of how you choose to store your broccoli, one thing will always be the same — you'll want to get it into the fridge as soon as you can.
Some sources recommend that even fresh store-bought broccoli should make it into the refrigerator within 30 minutes of purchase.The quicker your broccoli gets into the fridge, the less of a chance it will have to begin to lose its firm, crisp texture and the longer it will last before going bad.
About the Author
Nicole Castillo
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow crafts tutorials.
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