Broccoli is a Delicious and Nutritious Superfood You Can Grow in the Garden
Health Benefits
Broccoli is as an incredibly healthy vegetable, often referred to as a "superfood" for providing:
- Soluble dietary fiber that reduces the risk of heart disease
- Compounds shown to reduce the risk of cancer
- Huge servings of Vitamins C and K
- Potassium and Calcium that keep bones healthy
- Infection-fighting antioxidants (Broccoli has been shown to be at least as effective as prescription medications at preventing peptic ulcers.)
How to Properly Store and Prepare Broccoli
Storing and cooking your broccoli properly will preserve the quality and taste of the vegetable, while ensuring that you get the full benefit of its nutrients.
- Do not wash your broccoli until you are preparing it for eating. Like all members of the cabbage family, broccoli is naturally coated in a waxy film that protects it from decay.
- Do not seal broccoli in plastic with no ventilation. This could create moisture, which will hasten decay in your broccoli.
- Do not store broccoli with sweet fruits (including tomatoes). They release ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process and may cause your broccoli to become soft, brown, and inedible.
Preparing broccoli is simple. Just wash it under cold running water, then cook it to your preferred tenderness. However, to get the most out of broccoli's healing properties, it is best not to boil this veggie. Boiling tends to sap the healthy compounds and antioxidants that make broccoli such a remarkable vegetable. When possible, steam, stir-fry, or even microwave your broccoli instead. And, remember, broccoli is just as delicious and even more nutritious when it is fresh, crunchy, and raw.
