Purple Broccoli is a sprouting type, and also a member of the Brassicaceae family. The vegetable is available in the late winter and early spring months. Purple broccoli is more versatile than the regular broccoli because it is more tender and cooks more quickly on high heat. However, the plant loses its purple color because of the high heat. Purple Broccoli provides a nutty and peppery flavor, with a bit of bitterness which is common for vegetables from the Brassica family.
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Order: Brassicales
- Family: Brassicaceae
- Genus: Brassica
- Species: B. oleracea
- Binomial Name: Brassica oleracea
Purple Broccoli Trivia
- Raw Purple Broccoli is consisted of around 90% of water.
- Thomas Jefferson was a huge fan of broccoli, he even imported the vegetable from Italy in May 1767.
- Purple Broccoli was first cultivated by the Romans around six hundred years BC.
Purple Broccoli Buying Guide
When looking to buy the perfect broccoli, look for tight florets and firm stalks. The vegetable itself should feel a bit heavier for its size. The end of the stalks should be moist and fresh. Avoid broccoli that has dried our browning stems.
Purple Broccoli Production & Farming in Texas
Broccoli is genuinely a cool-season crop which means that it grows the best in temperatures that are under seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. In Texas, Broccoli is grown twice a year. The first one occurs during the fall for winter harvest, and the other one during the winter for spring harvest. Purple Broccoli prefers fertile and well-drained soil with a medium texture.
Pesticides:
Broccoli isn’t high in pesticide residues, and the reason being is that the vegetable has its natural insect repellents. Around 700 samples have been tested for pesticide residues and around seventy percent didn’t have any pesticides in them.
Geography:
The vegetable of purple broccoli comes from Central Asia and the Mediterranean, but it was first cultivated in Southern Italy. The seeds for the vegetable were first listed in 1885 in a French magazine which introduced a new vegetable to the United States. It wasn’t very popular until two Englishmen P. Crisp, and Alan Gray introduced better-tasting vegetables in 1985.
Purple broccoli is very hardy and tolerates low temperatures. Plant the vegetable seeds in March for early-winter harvest, and if you want to harvest from January to May, plant from April to mid-June. Plant them in a small pot so its easier to handle. Remove stones, debris, and anything that’s in the way where you’re planning to plant your seedlings. If your soil is acidic, add a little bit of lime to it. Water them well before transplanting to the soil. Transplant them when they’re between 7-9cm and place them around 50cm apart. Keep the soil moist at all times. Harvest when the flowers have developed, but before they have opened.
Packaging:
You will usually find broccoli wrapped in plastic at the supermarkets. But for the greatest product quality, buy them at your local farmers market.
Enjoying Purple Broccoli
As I’ve mentioned, purple broccoli is more versatile than the regular broccoli as it is more tender and can be cooked faster under high heat. The vegetable can be steamed, roasted, sauteed, grilled, and fried. Purple broccoli goes well with different kinds of vegetables and you can’t go wrong with it.
Storage:
To store purple broccoli, wrap it in a plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator and it can last for about two weeks.
Cooking:
If you’re looking for a simple and unique recipe for your purple sprouting broccoli, then you can combine it quite well with clementine and chili. Boil the water for the broccoli and add salt to the boiling water. Place half of the clementine zest in a small bowl. Add the juice from the clementine, mustard, chili flakes, oil, and celery salt to a bowl and whisk it together. Cook the broccoli for about two minutes until it is tender. Drain the broccoli before putting it back to a dry hot pan. Add the ingredients from the bowl and stir it for a little bit before serving it on a plate.
Nutrition:
Purple broccoli also consists of vitamins K, C, B6, and B9, and they are a decent source of calcium.
When Are Purple Broccoli in Season in Texas?
To find out when Purple Broccoli are in season in Texas, please check the seasonal chart below. Why is this important? We are rarely encouraged to think about the physical lengths our food travels before arriving on the market shelves. And all of this travel comes with a hefty environmental cost that is concealed from the consumer’s eye. One of the most salient benefits to eating seasonally is that you are effectively reducing your carbon footprint and supporting a more geographically sustainable food economy. Check other fruit and veg that’s in season in Texas now.