I chopped up all of my cauliflower leaves and stems into a sauté with the main ingredient, rice vinegar. It helps neutralize the bitterness and tastes like Asian cuisine side dish. Can’t wait to try it with the broccoli leaves and stems to see if they will have similar results.
Dehydrating and fermenting is my go to for winter prep for greens! Foraging during the winter months also aids in having some greens during the winter here in Zone 6a. I have not gone shopping for greens or any vegetable since the last CSA pickup in early November because of having been constantly processing the produce throughout the year. Needing no grocery runs, no waste, and craeting the maximum nutrition! There can be an abundance even when you don't have land to grow food if you know how to process and preserve foods. :)
@Kratos Financial & Insurance Solutions Yes - lacto fermenting in a salt brine, as sauerkraut, or kimchi. The incredible thing about this is that fermenting can be done to almost every single food item in the kitchen that I have, including greens, tubers, grains, beans and even cooked meats, so absolutely nothing goes to waste. The fermented greens certainly do not have the texture of fresh greens, but the nutrition is enhanced significantly as well as the shelf life even at room temperature. It's an absolute lifesaver for places especially with cold winters and a significant die back of vegetation! The food itself becomes medicine through fermenting, aiding to nourish and heal the body especially during the months of meager growth. And drying helps to reduce the bulk of the pantry, so it is also a very useful tool for food preservation as shared in this video! Some people even dry (on low heat) and powder ferments, so that'll be the next experiment I'll have to try. I sincerely hope more people will be inspired to preserve their greens watching this video 🙏
Hi, Angela! Thanks for the tips! I use mine the same way I use Collard greens. Sometimes I mix them in with my collards. I never thought about turning them into a powder. My husband will love that! Thanks again. Great vid! 💚
Thanks! Broccoli sprouts are also delicious and contain more nutrients than the mature flower or leaves. I plant extra seeds and thin out the plants by eating some of the sprouts. You can put them in salads or sandwiches. I haven't dehydrated broccoli leaves yet but probably will this year. I already dehydrated my moringa tree leaves.
Thanks so much for this. I love using the entire plant. I have also used the stalks if they are not too woody to make a cruciferous vegetable broth ( I also use kale stalks and brussel sprouts stalks ) which I use when cooking pork or making side dishes such as rice, risotto, or past using the absorption method.
With broccoli and cauliflower main stems I remove the tough outer green bit, then dice the more tender inner part, place in a bag, in the freezer, with other small diced veg and later use for stir-fry veg or vegetable soup.
Thanks for the video! I've often wondered what to do with the leaves. I've learned a lot from your videos. I also try to garden in zone 9b-- emphasis on 'try.'I trust your information and expertise.
I like to dehydrate them sliced thin and mix them with other greens - beet greens, kale, cauliflower greens, cabbage. I like to toss them in soup, noodles and add them to spice blends for extra nutrition. My animals love them too.
Thank you for your teaching. Watching you cut your broccoli plant what do you have growing around it? Does it help the plant grow better and keep bugs off it? Look forward to your reply. I live on the Front Range in Colorado.
You can probably pickle the stems. That's what I do to kale stems. Cut the stems out before you chop the leaves, and stick them in a jar in a salt brine solution with a little apple cider vinegar. They'll taste just like pickles in a couple months.
Hi Angela, thanks for your very good info re the leaves. I don't yet have a freeze dryer, suddenly now thinking about it. Can I use freeze dried leaves in my vegavite or whatever the blender w/o water? Thanks, Janet.
I save all my vegetable scraps to make stock. I usually don't include brassicas, as they can make it bitter, but I wondered if that's also true for the leaves? I've still got tons in my garden from cauliflower that suffered in this summer's heat and never formed a head.
It rarely gets cold enough to kill off all the plants where I live, so broccoli can survive just fine through the winter that we never pick all the leaves. I like to dehydrate the leaves and add the powder to my son's food. He absolutely loves broccoli, and will eat the plants (thanks to The Very Hungry Caterpillar book) if not kept back. I'll mix the powder with butter and pour it over his popcorn or into his rice, sprinkle it onto his pizza before adding the cheese, anywhere it can be mixed into or covered up by something. I combine radish and carrot tops, broccoli, kale, beets, and whatever other leafy greens are available to make a powder that we can use during the winter. Unless he gets to them first... 🌱🐛
I know that some of the leaves in my garden are toxic like tomato and potato but have heard that squash leaves are and sweet potatoes are safe. Can you tell me something about this?
I don’t know about squash. The texture on those seems a little rough for eating, but sweet potato leaves are a common Asian green. My Filipino husband grew up eating them. His mom grows the plant for the leaves alone and uses them just like you would use spinach. They’re tasty.
Just so Everyone knows, for future reference the collard greens and broccoli greens are delicious. Brussels sprouts,. Not so much. In fact, I had to throw out a batch of my greens because the Brussels sprouts were so pungent and bitter It ruined my other greens. And that was with the small tender leaves.. Just not very good at all. In fact, I doubt if I'll even grow them anymore. It'll just be collards and broccoli. And beet greens Which are my all time favorite, are delicious, just like spinach. In fact, I grow beets. just so I can have a spinach like vegetable all summer long. Spinach bolts. with the first trace of summer heat. Whereas beets Produce.. All season long, including summer. Just keep trimming them back Blanche for two minutes. Then Ice bath For two minutes. . then freeze. Love my beet greens Even more so than the actual beets.
I chopped up all of my cauliflower leaves and stems into a sauté with the main ingredient, rice vinegar. It helps neutralize the bitterness and tastes like Asian cuisine side dish. Can’t wait to try it with the broccoli leaves and stems to see if they will have similar results.
Felicia Kunze
this sounds wonderful!
I've just used those leaves for compost. Thanks for these ideas!
Dehydrating and fermenting is my go to for winter prep for greens! Foraging during the winter months also aids in having some greens during the winter here in Zone 6a. I have not gone shopping for greens or any vegetable since the last CSA pickup in early November because of having been constantly processing the produce throughout the year. Needing no grocery runs, no waste, and craeting the maximum nutrition! There can be an abundance even when you don't have land to grow food if you know how to process and preserve foods. :)
When You say fermenting, do you mean that you make the greens into a sauerkraut type dish or do you just add it in with cabbage? Great idea!
@Kratos Financial & Insurance Solutions Yes - lacto fermenting in a salt brine, as sauerkraut, or kimchi. The incredible thing about this is that fermenting can be done to almost every single food item in the kitchen that I have, including greens, tubers, grains, beans and even cooked meats, so absolutely nothing goes to waste. The fermented greens certainly do not have the texture of fresh greens, but the nutrition is enhanced significantly as well as the shelf life even at room temperature. It's an absolute lifesaver for places especially with cold winters and a significant die back of vegetation! The food itself becomes medicine through fermenting, aiding to nourish and heal the body especially during the months of meager growth. And drying helps to reduce the bulk of the pantry, so it is also a very useful tool for food preservation as shared in this video! Some people even dry (on low heat) and powder ferments, so that'll be the next experiment I'll have to try. I sincerely hope more people will be inspired to preserve their greens watching this video 🙏
Hana Oshima Piano how do you ferment your outer leaves?
Hi, Angela! Thanks for the tips! I use mine the same way I use Collard greens. Sometimes I mix them in with my collards. I never thought about turning them into a powder. My husband will love that! Thanks again. Great vid! 💚
I also love "greens" powder! This is my forst time using broccoli leaves for it. It's a good way to sneak some extra veggies into my meal.
Great tips thanks
Great tips to utilize what you grow! Increasing health and saving money at the same time. Right on!
Oh this video is right on time. I just harvest my broccoli and cauliflower now I will freeze dry the leaves. Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you for this info!
Hi. I mix my collard, broccoli and cauliflower leaves for cooking
This is great! Always important to help reduce waste and get more from the garden
Great idea on dehydrating Angela! I've been enjoying mine sauteed or in salad but I love the idea of making my own greens powder! You're the best!
My grandma use those leaves like you use cabbage for cabbage rolls. Have a bless weekend. Thank you.
Thanks! Broccoli sprouts are also delicious and contain more nutrients than the mature flower or leaves. I plant extra seeds and thin out the plants by eating some of the sprouts. You can put them in salads or sandwiches.
I haven't dehydrated broccoli leaves yet but probably will this year. I already dehydrated my moringa tree leaves.
Thanks so much for this. I love using the entire plant. I have also used the stalks if they are not too woody to make a cruciferous vegetable broth ( I also use kale stalks and brussel sprouts stalks ) which I use when cooking pork or making side dishes such as rice, risotto, or past using the absorption method.
Great tip!
Thank you....
Great video, as usual! Thank you for such wonderful tips, your broccoli looks perfect!
My first year growing broccoli and glory to God I got heads but I also saw all those leaves and tried them. Delicious - like collards.
With broccoli and cauliflower main stems I remove the tough outer green bit, then dice the more tender inner part, place in a bag, in the freezer, with other small diced veg and later use for stir-fry veg or vegetable soup.
Thanks for the video! I've often wondered what to do with the leaves. I've learned a lot from your videos. I also try to garden in zone 9b-- emphasis on 'try.'I trust your information and expertise.
Thank you for your channel 💖
Thanks for watching!
I like to dehydrate them sliced thin and mix them with other greens - beet greens, kale, cauliflower greens, cabbage. I like to toss them in soup, noodles and add them to spice blends for extra nutrition. My animals love them too.
Nice! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, lots more options than I thought. I give them to my worm bin right now.
Thank sharing,, love it,,
Love how creative and industrious you are! 💚
What a awesome video explaining it all. Righto back to the kitchen for me to deal with all these leaves. Thanks and subbed!
Woow!!
Thank you Angela!!
Thank you for your teaching. Watching you cut your broccoli plant what do you have growing around it? Does it help the plant grow better and keep bugs off it? Look forward to your reply. I live on the Front Range in Colorado.
Such great tips, This is so helpful will groceries getting so expensive.
Good to know about when to harvest the leaves.
Thanks Barb!
I LOVE broccoli leaves!!!
Great ways to use nutritious rich greens. Love the powder idea. Smoothie time! Thanks
What a great and useful video. Thanks so much Angela.
We have been eating ours but definitely drying the end leaves. I’m thinking my amaranth is getting tough now and will do the same. Great reminder!
You can probably pickle the stems. That's what I do to kale stems. Cut the stems out before you chop the leaves, and stick them in a jar in a salt brine solution with a little apple cider vinegar. They'll taste just like pickles in a couple months.
Super!
Do you process them in a bath water?
beautiful!! so happy to learn this!
Thank you. I am grateful
Love this. And your jars. Saw them in your recent gift giving idea video so have to ask where you got them? Thanks Angela!
Thanks. Yes I use them for everything! amzn.to/3ZrHl4Z
Great information, Thank you!
Great video! Love the powder idea. How long can I keep the powder and do I need to freeze them?
I dried the leaves and ground them up. Added them to food and no one knew they were eating broccoli. 😊
This is so helpful! Thank you so much!
Hi Angela, thanks for your very good info re the leaves. I don't yet have a freeze dryer, suddenly now thinking about it. Can I use freeze dried leaves in my vegavite or whatever the blender w/o water? Thanks, Janet.
Great video thabks
Thanks
I save all my vegetable scraps to make stock. I usually don't include brassicas, as they can make it bitter, but I wondered if that's also true for the leaves? I've still got tons in my garden from cauliflower that suffered in this summer's heat and never formed a head.
I don't use them in stock, because as you say they make it bitter. But the powder doesn't seem to have the same effect.
Will the side shoots still come? I eat off my broccoli all summer.
Can the broccoli stalk be used for slaw or will it be too tough?
You could try - mine seem to be pretty tough.
I peel the outer tough skin if the centre isn’t white then it is tender enough to be cooked with the broccoli florets.
Do the leaves have a similar flavor to kale and spinach?
They have a broccoli/cabbage taste
Can Malabar spinach be powdered in this way?
I hadn't thought of that. Probably.
It rarely gets cold enough to kill off all the plants where I live, so broccoli can survive just fine through the winter that we never pick all the leaves. I like to dehydrate the leaves and add the powder to my son's food. He absolutely loves broccoli, and will eat the plants (thanks to The Very Hungry Caterpillar book) if not kept back. I'll mix the powder with butter and pour it over his popcorn or into his rice, sprinkle it onto his pizza before adding the cheese, anywhere it can be mixed into or covered up by something. I combine radish and carrot tops, broccoli, kale, beets, and whatever other leafy greens are available to make a powder that we can use during the winter. Unless he gets to them first... 🌱🐛
How about Beet greens?
Same.
I know that some of the leaves in my garden are toxic like tomato and potato but have heard that squash leaves are and sweet potatoes are safe. Can you tell me something about this?
I don’t know about squash. The texture on those seems a little rough for eating, but sweet potato leaves are a common Asian green. My Filipino husband grew up eating them. His mom grows the plant for the leaves alone and uses them just like you would use spinach. They’re tasty.
Brassica and sweet potato are definitely ok - I haven't tried a lot of the other types.
Yes you absolutely can but you need to prepare them a certain way. I shared a video last week on a delicious recipe I made with them. They are good!
@@UrbanHomesteadArtist Thanks and I will check out your channel as I love learning new things.
@@iartistdotme I do too. It’s certainly fun to explore new ideas. Often they save us money or time too.
You should wash before chopping. If you chop and soak, more juices would leach out.
They are so large, my sink isn't big enough! But that's a good tip, Maybe I'll figure out a way to wash first.
I feed them to my worms. Happy Thanksgiving!
👍
I'm just going to rinse them off and through some salad dressing on them.
Just so Everyone knows, for future reference the collard greens and broccoli greens are delicious. Brussels sprouts,. Not so much. In fact, I had to throw out a batch of my greens because the Brussels sprouts were so pungent and bitter It ruined my other greens. And that was with the small tender leaves.. Just not very good at all. In fact, I doubt if I'll even grow them anymore. It'll just be collards and broccoli. And beet greens Which are my all time favorite, are delicious, just like spinach. In fact, I grow beets. just so I can have a spinach like vegetable all summer long. Spinach bolts. with the first trace of summer heat. Whereas beets Produce.. All season long, including summer. Just keep trimming them back Blanche for two minutes. Then Ice bath For two minutes. . then freeze. Love my beet greens Even more so than the actual beets.