Cauliflower Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Storage Tips

Refrigerate immediately. Wrap in a damp cloth or place in a plastic bag and store in the vegetable crisper section of your refrigerator for up to a week. Cauliflower that has been stored too long will develop a strong odor and flavor.

Cauliflower can also be frozen for long-term storage. Blanch the curds for 2-4 minutes and rinse under cold water before draining and storing in an air-tight container.

Cooking Tips

Remove the tough, outer leaves and rinse the head. Trim off any blemishes. You can cook the cauliflower whole or broken into individual florets.

Don’t overcook cauliflower or some of the B vitamins, most of the vitamin C and all of the vitamin E will be destroyed.

Uses

▸Sauteed or stir-fried

▸Tossed with olive oil & several garlic cloves and roasted

▸With potato and leeks in soup

Cauliflower is another member of the cruciferous vegetables and evolved from sprouting broccoli. The edible plant part is called a curd. Cauliflower can be difficult to grow because it requires very specific weather and soil conditions to produce a nice, white head.

Most of the cauliflower you will find is the traditional white variety. However, you can find broccoflower which is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli and purple cauliflower varieties. The latter will turn green when cooked.

Like the other cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower contains phytochemicals called isothiocyanates which are excellent antioxidants that can detoxify cancer-causing agents in the body.

What to Look for When Purchasing

Look for firm, compact heads about 6 inches in diameter. A 6-inch head will serve 4-6 people after it’s been trimmed. Avoid heads that are soft, or have brown spots on the curds.

When buying broccoflower, look for firm, yellow-green or pale-green heads.

Provided to you by

Wisconsin Fresh Market Vegetable Growers Association

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size = ½ c cooked

· Calories – 14

· Proteins (g) – 0.1

· Carbohydrates (g) – 2.5

· Fiber (g) – 1.7

· Fat (g) – 0.3

· Vitamin B₆ (mg) – 0.1

· Vitamin C (mg) – 27

· Folate (mcg) – 27

Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of folate and vitamin B6. It also contains glucosinolates that are converted to disease-fighting isothiocyanates when eaten.

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