When to harvest and how to store broccoli
If a broccoli flowers bloom, which means that soon it will turn yellow and lose its commercial qualities. This happens especially quickly on hot days.
All the work of growing cabbage will go down the drain if not harvested on time. You should not take off unripe or overripe heads of cabbage. When to cut the head of broccoli cabbage, learn from the article.
The content of the article
When to harvest broccoli outdoors
In order not to spoil the cabbage harvest, the gardener needs to know not only the ripening period, but also what the mature head looks like.
Ripening terms
The ripening time of broccoli depends on its variety.... Usually 75-110 days pass from sowing to harvesting.
Ripening period of some popular hybrids:
- Apolena F1 - up to 85 days;
- Parthenon F1 - about 85 days;
- Marathon F1 - 80 days;
- Naxos F1 - 75 days;
- Triton F1 - 80 days.
How to tell if broccoli is ripe
A ripe head of cabbage weighs about 400 g, and its diameter is 20 cm... Its flowers are closed and tightly closed.
What it's time to harvest, an experienced gardener will recognize by such signs:
- the diameter of the head has reached 10 cm - the width of the palm;
- the color of the cabbage is dark green and the buds are tightly closed;
- 2 months have passed since the first shoots: the head of cabbage ripens completely in about this time and weighs at least 250 g.
Broccoli ripens at different times in all regions of the country.... It is often harvested in late autumn. It is permissible to leave the heads on the garden bed while the temperature is above zero.
Attention! If cabbage buds open and turn yellow, picking cannot be postponed. Even slight yellowing impairs the exquisite taste broccoli... Blooming cabbage loses its taste and is not used in cooking.
Picking broccoli
It is best to harvest the cabbage heads as soon as signs of maturity are noticed.... Overripe broccoli quickly loses its flavor.
Flowers bloom in a few days, especially in the heat... Therefore, it is recommended not to wait until the heads become larger. Moreover, the cultivation of large main heads of cabbage further reduces the yield of side ones.
What time is better to cut
Cabbage loses its properties if picked in unsuitable weather... It is mainly about high temperatures and scorching sun.
If the heads are cut off in the heat, they wither quickly and are not stored for long. To keep heads of cabbage fresh longer, they are harvested early in the morning or late in the evening.
How to clean broccoli properly
The heads are cut obliquely so that rot does not develop... Capture about 10-20 cm of the stem, which is also used for culinary purposes.
Important! You cannot pull up the plant, take it out by the roots, or cut off the stem completely.
When the main head of cabbage has been cut off, the cabbage is further looked after... This will provide additional yield as broccoli produces side heads.
They are harvested weekly in the summer and every 3-5 days in the fall.
How to store broccoli
Before putting the cabbage on long-term storage, her carefully washed and dried.
Attention! You need to wash cabbage very carefully: it will be stored less if damaged.
Broccoli is more tender and sensitive than cabbage... So don't expect it to last as long. In a refrigerator at a temperature of + 4 ... + 7 ° C, heads are stored no more than 3 weeks at high humidity - from 90%.
To keep the marketable quality of cabbage for a long time, it is stored in the basement or freezer.
In the basement
Cabbage is stored in plastic containers with holes... To do this, lay a damp cloth in the container and put the broccoli heads on it with their legs down. Be sure to place the heads of cabbage at a short distance.
To maintain the desired level of humidity, the box is covered with foil on top.... Store broccoli in the basement at 0 ... + 3 ° C for a maximum of 2 months.
Important! In the basement, broccoli is placed on a damp cloth, but the heads themselves must not be moistened.
In the freezer
Broccoli retains its flavor for the longest when frozen... The forks are pre-washed, dried and cut into small pieces. For storage in the freezer, they are put in portioned bags.
Very important freeze heads right:
- Wash in cold water, remove leaves and woody parts of the stem, divide into inflorescences.
- Prepare a salt solution - 2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water.
- Soak inflorescences in saline for 30 minutes. If there are caterpillars or insects in the cabbage, they will come out. Rinse the cabbage again.
- Boil water in a large saucepan (more than half capacity). Put the washed inflorescences in boiling water for 3 minutes.
- Remove the cabbage with a colander and place in ice water for 5 minutes (throw ice there to cool). Remove the colander with cabbage from the water and leave to drain.
- Arrange the inflorescences in special bags, releasing air from them, and tie tightly.
- Broccoli is ready to freeze.
In this form, the cabbage will lie for up to a year.
Important! Store fresh or freeze only late varieties of broccoli (they are harvested in the fall). The early ones do not store, but immediately use it in cooking.
Conclusion
To get a good harvest of broccoli, you have to try. It is important not only to plant and grow it, but also to harvest it correctly. The weather and time of day matter. But the main thing is to determine when to remove broccoli from the garden, so as not to let it overripe.
To keep the cabbage fresh, it is harvested early in the morning or late at night. It is important that there is no heat or frost: broccoli withers and loses its taste. After harvest, late varieties are stored in the refrigerator, basement or freezer. Early varieties are eaten immediately.