Harvested Broccoli

Froze the broccoli today. Now that it's just Monte and me ... 1/2 pound bags.



I cut off the floweretes, parboil or steam 5 minutes, run cold water over to stop the cooking and put in cold water to chill a bit, drain and bag and freeze.

I've got the sink full of cold salted water for dropping the broccoli heads in and soaking till I pull them out to cut up. The salt is supposed to drive any worms and bugs out. We don't really have bugs at our altitude. Some years there can be some aphids and I might find one or two worms that match the color of the broccoli! Our water year round is ice cold. For most of you, you'd put your steamed broccoli in ice water.

I marked on the calendar that I froze 21 bags. I'll be doing more over time since broccoli produces side shoots.



We'll pull these bags from the freezer all winter. Usually we'll just saute the broccoli up and add some lemon juice, sometimes toasted pinenuts or almonds, or walnuts, sometimes some parmesan. I love chicken divan (it's in my cookbook, using fresh ground herbs and spices creating a fresh curry mixture). I bagged the broccoli stalks and put them in the fridge - I'll be grating them for a Coldslaw.