Apple & Brussels Sprouts Slaw Recipe - Cookin Canuck (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak brussel sprouts before cooking? ›

Not only can soaking make the centers more malleable, but the water that's absorbed into them will create a steaming action, whether you choose to roast, saute, or make your Brussels sprouts in your air fryer. The steam can help to ensure the cooking is even throughout the Brussels sprout.

Over the last twenty years, farmers have mellowed the "unpleasant" flavor of brussels sprouts by breeding a vegetable that contains fewer bitter compounds or glucosinolates. So, brussels sprouts just taste better than they used to when we were kids. The rub is that glucosinolates help protect sprouts against pests.

In the late 1990s scientists identified specific chemicals, called glucosinolates, that made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously discarded for producing paltry harvests, to identify tastier versions with lower levels of these compounds.

Eating Brussels sprouts along with other good sources of fiber — like other vegetables, fruits, and whole grains — can help you meet your fiber needs. Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, which can promote regularity, support digestive health, and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

To maximize the flat areas, which get the most crispy surface area, cut your Brussels sprouts in half. If your Brussels sprouts are very small, you can leave them whole (and if they are very large, quarter them).

Contributed by Whole Foods Market, Inc. To prepare, soak Brussels sprouts in a bowl of cold, salted water for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Roast the Brussels Sprouts at high heat

If you don't hear them crisping up in the oven, add a little more oil and roast them for a few more minutes until your desire crispiness is achieved!

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemical, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene. The research found that around 50 per cent of the world's population have a mutation on this gene.

Who made Brussels sprouts taste better? ›

A Dutch scientist named Hans van Doorn, who worked at a seed and chemical company, figured out exactly which chemical compounds in Brussels sprouts made them bitter. The next step was to plant sprouts with the least amount of these chemicals and eventually cross-pollinate the chemicals out.

Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft. Add the Brussels sprouts and potatoes and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until the vegetables are cooked through and golden brown. Remove the vegetables from the oven and stir in the butter and lemon juice.

For best results, cook sprouts until just tender, never mushy. Overcooking produces the offensive odor associated with Brussels sprouts. It's caused by the release of sulfur-containing compounds. Overcooking also causes them to turn a drab olive green.

Brussels sprouts are cool season vegetables that prefer a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting. Plant seeds ¼-½ inch deep.

Surprisingly, it could be your genes that determine your feelings about these controversial little vegetables. A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemical, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene.

In fact, the tradition of cutting a cross in the base of a sprout might have less to do with culinary technique and more to do with superstition. In Medieval times, it was believed that evil spirits and demons lived between the leaves of the vegetable, and they would enter anyone who ate them, making them ill.

Although a healthy vegetable, consuming too many Brussels sprouts can be unsuitable for people on anticoagulants since it contains vitamin K, which results in blood clotting. Another issue with consuming Brussels sprouts excessively is that it can lead to gas and bloating.