THE INCREDIBLE CRUCIFERS.

Illustration from AARP Magazine, 2014

Crucifers – these vegetables include arugula, cabbages, Boc choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, kohlrabi, mustard greens, mizuna, wasabi, radishes and turnips.  Rapeseed grows in cool climates and is the source of canola oil. What they all have in common is flowers with four petals, arranged in a cross, how the name “crucifer” was derived. Most originated in the middle east. Roman conquerors brought these vegetables to the British Isles around 500 AD. Kale became very popular there.

Most of the crucifers have not been selected for sweetness or to remove bitterness, which nutritionally is an advantage for health, because they contain glucosinolates, and the more bitter, the better, (unlike Betty Botter’s bitter batter.) Kale and Brussels sprouts have the most. They offer more health benefits than most of the other fruits and vegetables we normally eat. Most crucifers are helpful in preventing cancer.

           

Most crucifers are rich in antioxidants, measured with an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity.) Those foods with highest antioxidants are Kale and Strawberries, (not a crucifer) Broccoli, Grapefruit, and Grapes are next highest.

To realize their benefits, the vegetables need to be freshly harvested, but commonly lose 89 % of their potential value in harvest, shipped, warehoused, and displayed, and then stored in your refrigerator. Cooking further depletes their benefits.

Broccoli depletes very rapidly after it is picked. Broccoli needs to be chilled as soon as it is harvested, kept cool and eaten within two to three days. Most is grown in California or Arizona. If possible buy broccoli at a Farmer’s market. If you must store it, keep it in a microperforated bag in your crisper drawer. Look in the supermarket for dark green crowns and closed buds, with no evident yellowing, and firm stems. Cut ends should be moist and smooth. Best to buy a whole head of broccoli and prepare it right away.

Frozen broccoli is far less nutritious, as blanching destroys a third of its glucosinolates before it gets to the freezer..

Raw broccoli gives you up to twenty times more sulforaphane than cooked, which contains its anti cancer properties. Boiling or steaming for a maximum of four minutes is better than nuking it. They should be crunchy. They can be sauted in olive oil with garlic. A microwave destroys half of the nutrients in broccoli. (Information from Eating on the Wild Side, by Jo Robinson. Little, Brown , and Company, Publisher.) Available on Amazon.

Next  time– Brussels Sprouts.

PLEASE NOTE:

I am finding it difficult to keep up with daily tasks, and still have time to do some of the things that give me joy. I have a lot of yard work to catch up on. Because of that, I will try to write this blog three times a month, and hope that helps.