Have you grown Brussel Sprouts before? Do you even like to eat them? I admit I’ve only had them a few times in my life, but I have really liked them. They are great roasted, soft insides with crispy carmalized outter leaves. And I seem to remember having them as a kid once with that thick orange cheese sauce which makes anything taste better. But we’ve never grown them.
They are really cool, funky looking plants and I hope that I have a whole bed of them to photograph in a few months. I was reading up on them and they said that its best if you don’t plant them where other brassicas have been growing in the past two years….hmmmm, what has been growing in that bed? We really do need to keep better track. Well, this summer that’s where the watermelons were, but who knows what was there before that. Like the cabbages, these need regular moisture and well drained soil. And they grow best when the temperatures are around 65 degrees. We hope to give them what they need.
I never realized how good brussel sprouts were until this year. I blanch them quickly then roast them in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. They are really good and fun to eat!
Thanks for the inspiration, I think I’ll plant some of these too!
We grow brussel sprouts every year, and we love them. They’re fantastic frozen, too, so if you have leftovers you should try that.
Just a tip, but if you break off the lower leaves from the stem, the sprouts will grow bigger and tastier!
Thanks for the tip Rachel! We’ll have to make sure to try that.
It’s hard to believe that the tender little plant in your photo will be the backbone for those delicious little fists of brussel sprouts. Gardening never ceases to amaze me. I hope you take progress report photos as I’ve never actually grown these and I doubt they would to take to a pot. But maybe I should give it a try.
Oh, have fun with your sprouts. Wish I’d had Rachel’s tip earlier this summer, although ours are looking pretty good. I’m cutting the tops off this weekend to encourage them to finish out before it really gets too cold. Can’t wait to start eating them!