I walked to the "Side Garden" to see how the cabbage/collards and Red cabbage was growing and was surprised that I had "Broccoli" growing so well :o) I had forgotten I just planted a six pack to see how they'd do..I've eaten broccoli many times and even make broccoli soup..but I've never grown it! The leaves looked so nice and green I had to snap a few leaves and test them out...they look a lot like collards and take about just as long to cook..too bad I didn't have any cornbread ready :o) (there is still time , I'm just lazy).
Dont' they look like Collards! I like growing the broccoli, but the heads aren't large enough yet..(they are about the size of tennis ball (not big enough yet to pick).
I don't think the canning season ever ends until January! I'm looking at greens I need to harvest and put away..I'm also waiting to make more chicken stock, but I need my jars for my greens..boy! this canning is a budget saver and you feel guilty if you don't save what you've been blessed with..with the new heater being installed the gas company is going to "sock it to me" so i try to save where I can, and thank goodness I have something to put away, and that I know how..
Update: The leaves cooked up pretty tender..and they didn't taste like the Broccoli flowers..they weren't bad at all..it was like eating any of the other greens..they weren't bitter like mustards or Broccoli Rabe...they were a little milder and maybe a little more bland< nothing a little Chow Chow wouldn't fix , or more Country ham included in the cooking. I'll do it again, that's another gift from mother nature :o)
That is a very important lesson knowledge is power.
ReplyDeleteBoy they sure look good Ginny! I have never eaten the greens from the broccoli plant. What do they taste like?
ReplyDeleteI had a small harvest this week and will be getting a better harvest soon from the cold frames.
It's great to be blessed with all this great food and know how!
Hey Little Cathy @ home,
ReplyDeletelike the hip hop say today "you got that right". :o)
Robin,
ReplyDeleteThey don't taste like Broccoli, almost like a collard, but not as strong..the leaves were so tempting to cook and eat..I had to be careful that I didn't strip too many off the plant so that the heads would stop growing. So I picked a couple leaves from each one at the bottom.
Canning in December! Good for you. We had snow this week! :-D I hope it stays warm long enough for your broccoli heads to form.
ReplyDeleteDaisy
ReplyDeleteI hope so too! If they are small I won't worry, they will make a couple nice bowls of soup :o)
ohh that does look good. I have never had and kind of `greens` before.
ReplyDeleteYUM! Little tender leafies!
ReplyDeleteI have a great recipe for cream of broccoli soup, fast and easy! Uses up lots of the "stem". You can peel off the outside and just use the core...
Nice that you are still canning@
Cyndy
ReplyDeleteI can always use another recipe :o) sounds good to use the stalks..
Ginny, great minds think alike! I've been doing the same thing with my little broccoli plants! Not bad at all.
ReplyDeleteLeigh,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know that someone else isn't "wasting" :o)
Our houses won't go hungry this year. Another blogger is going to send me a recipe for Brocolli soup out of the stalks, I'll share it when she sends it :o) Making the soup is so easy.
Those sure do look good!
ReplyDeleteI'm still canning too. I don't ever really put my canning supplies away. I can up beans as needed as well as potatoes when I can find a deal on the 50 lb bags.