With its low calorie content, but a wealth of vitamins from the B group, vitamin C, pro-vitamin A, fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, etc. broccoli is among the healthiest vegetables to eat.
In its natural form, it appears in the stores in late autumn, but unfortunately it must be consumed immediately because it spoils quickly. That's why it's good to know how you can store it for a longer time:
Storing broccoli in the refrigerator
Ideally, you should consume the broccoli right after you buy the vegetable, but if your plans change, unpack it and leave it breathe without washing it.
An even better option is to lightly dry it with kitchen paper or even wrap it in it, but without suffocating it. This way it will last in the refrigerator for 2-3 days without any problem, and if it was really fresh, up to 5 days.
Storing frozen broccoli in the freezer
In this way, you will be able to store the broccoli for up to about 1 year, but you will lose a small part of its valuable ingredients. To freeze it, however, you must first blanch it. This is done by cleaning it well, separating it into florets and washing it.
Then you put it in boiling and lightly salted water for 3-4 minutes and immediately pour cold water over it to stop its heat treatment. Strain well and pack it in plastic bags. It's best to portion it out so that for every dish you usually make with broccoli, you have the right amount. Once defrosted, broccoli cannot be refrozen.
Storing broccoli by canning
In this case, we're talking about canning broccoli. There are a wide variety of recipes to choose from, but generally speaking, it is canned the same way you would make canned cauliflower. Here's a suggestion if you don't have time to search for the information you need:
Broccoli pickle
Products required: 2 large heads of broccoli, 600 g of carrots, 1 head of garlic, a few stalks of celery, salt, vinegar and aspirin.
Method of preparation: Broccoli is divided into florets and washed. Carrots are peeled and cut into rings. The garlic is divided into cloves, peeled and each clove is cut in half. Start layering the broccoli tightly in 800ml jars and place some carrots, garlic and celery between the rows.
After each jar is filled, pour vinegar to the bottom of the jar, add 1 aspirin and 1 tablespoon of salt to each jar. Fill the jars with boiling water, close them and keep them upside down until they cool completely.
If you have broccoli on hand, feel free to try one of our recipes for:
