Whether you gobble them down first, or push them around your plate in disgust,
Brussels sprouts are part of a traditional roast dinner.
But haters of the bitter vegetable may have more difficulty forcing them down this year because the sprouts are 20 per cent larger than usual thanks to mild weather.
'
Monster sprouts' larger than golf balls will go on sale at Morrisons supermarkets in the UK this week and are said to be the biggest for a decade.
While this may be good news for sprout lovers, the super-sized sprout may be hard to eat in just one mouthful for those who are not as keen on the Christmassy vegetable.
The sprouts have grown to an enormous size due to milder weather and good growing conditions throughout the
British summer and autumn.
BRUSSELS SPROUT
FACTS
1. Brussels sprouts are originally from
Afghanistan and
Iran and were cultivated by the
Romans.
Belgium then grew the vegetable widely from the
13th century, giving them their current name.
2.
Sprouts are members of the brassica family, which also includes cabbage, broccoli and kale.
3. There are more than
100 varieties of sprouts.
4.
Around 82,
000 tons of Brussels sprouts are grown in the UK every year. The area covered by
Brussels sprout fields in the UK is the equivalent of 3,240 football pitches.
5. Sprouts aren’t just for
Christmas. They are in season from August to April. New varieties and modern growing techniques have extended the traditionally shorter sprout season.
6. Overcooking sprouts makes them release bitter tasting compounds and sulphur-like smells which people find off-putting. They only need between seven and eight minutes.
7. Buying sprouts on their stalk keeps them fresher for longer.
It’s recommended you stand the stalk in water to keep them really fresh, and just pick what you need.
8.
Bacon, chestnuts, lemon, almonds, nutmeg, cream, garlic all go well with sprouts.
9. Sprouts are a rich source of
Vitamin C and folic acid. One 2.8 ounce (80g) serving of cooked sprouts provides you with 80 per cent of the recommended daily allowance (
RDA) of vitamin C – four times the amount of vitamin C than an orange, and 44 per cent of your RDA of folic acid.
10. The heaviest ever sprout was grown in
1992 and weighed 18lbs 3ounces (8.3kg).
- published: 27 Nov 2015
- views: 160