CauliflowerCauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica Oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. Included in the family are cabbage and broccoli. The white headed plant is thought to have come from France in the 13th Century. It is an annual plant that will die each year. It reproduces by producing seeds that are created when the heads are allowed to mature. It is a vegetable since it does not produce edible seeds. It is a cool weather plant and if the outside temperature gets too hot, like into the 90's the head will turn bitter. It is at its best when harvest from February to March here in San Antonio, when the temperatures are above 50 degrees. Prolonged exposure to cold will cause the heads to form buttons. Shortly after forming buttons they will go to seed. Most people only eat the white part of the head, which is the immature flower and the rest of the plant can be put on the lawn and mulched, put in the compost pile or tilled into the soil after harvest. It produces a very nutritious head, called the curd, that may be eaten after being cooked in water or steamed. It can also be eaten raw or pickled. It is often cooked and mixed with cheese sauce. This is how I like it. My wife loves it with butter, salt, and pepper. The heads come in different colors like purple, orange and green. It is low in fat, high in dietary fiber, water and vitamin C. As a member of the brassica family it contains several chemicals that are beneficial to human health that help with cancer, and liver functions. However, if a person has a thyroid problem, it can agitate it. Also people with gout or kidney problems may want to avoid this plant. Low carb dieters can use cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes since they have a similar texture. They lack the starch of potatoes.
In the picture below is a perfect curd.
In the picture below is a harvested head that did not develop well. It did not complete its growing before the temps got to hot here in Texas.
In the picture below is cauliflower that did not form right due to the high temperature. It looks fine but it has a bad bitter taste.
02-04-2010 Below is a picture of a Fermont cauliflower head that is growing in my greenhouse for the Fall of 2009 thru 2010. It is forming very well. I was afraid the cold snap we had might have harmed it but it is doing well.
02-04-2010 Below are more pictures of the Fall 2009 Fermont variety.
Your Garden StoryDo you have a garden story to share with us? Thank you for visiting the page.Return to Home Page from Growing Cauliflower
Custom Search
|
