Brussel Sprouts

General Description/History:

- Look like miniature cabbage
- Have been bred away from the bitter flavor of old varieties
- 2cm in diameter
- Related to cabbages and cauliflower
- Plants grow between 1-1.4m in height

Choose small, firm and compact heads of bright green colour.

Trim the stems, remove poor quality leaves and wash. Cut a shallow cross in the stem to ensure even cooking. Brussels sprouts can be steamed, boiled, stir fried or micro waved. If overcooked, a sulphur odor will develop.

A cool growing season is essential for the culture of Brussel sprouts. Cool, moist weather with frosty conditions is particularly desirable during maturity. Well drained soil supplemented with fertilizer and irrigation for early growth is required.

Seed is sown in seed beds and then transplanted to paddocks approximately 2 months later.

The actual sprouts form on the stem of the plant at the base of each leaf. The time from transplanting to the first pick is approximately 12-16 weeks.

Brussels sprouts are believed to have originated in the Belgian City of Brussels during the thirteenth century. Modern selections of Brussel sprouts have got away from the bitter flavor associated with this vegetable in the past.
Available in March, April, May, June, July, August and September

Growing Areas:

QLD - Queensland
NSW - New South Wales
VIC - Werribee
TAS - Tasmania
SA - Adelaide Hills, Mt Barker
WA - Perth Metropolitan Outer Areas

Although they look very different, cabbage, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are all the same species of plant. The differences between these plants are the results of thousands of years of human cultivation and selective propagation.