Broccoli is originated from the Latin word Brachium, which means branch, as it looks like a tree-shaped vegetable with the head of Florets attached by a small stem to a larger stalk. Broccoli has a variety of textures. The stem and the stalk parts are crunchy; however, the Florets are soft.
Various types of Broccoli exist; from dark green to purplish-green they can be differentiated by colors. The most popular kind of Broccoli Florets is found in North America, known as Calabrese. Calabrese is named after a province in Italy- Calabria where it was first found. Broccoli is loved by people around the world mainly because of its flavors.
What are Broccoli Florets?
Broccoli Florets are tree-shaped upper parts, attached to a stem and larger stalk. They are soft as compared to other parts of the Broccoli. Broccoli Florets can be grated, blanched, chopped, or sliced to be used in different delicious and healthy recipes.
How to Cut Broccoli Florets?
Cutting Broccoli into the perfect shape can be challenging if you do not know the correct way. Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to perfectly cut your Broccoli into the best-looking Florets with stems. The best tip is to leave your stems long! Yes, if your Broccoli has long stems, it is certainly the best-looking shape for all kinds of Broccoli recipes.
Tip: Never touch the dark green part of the Broccoli Florets; Do the cutting on the stems.
How to Cut Long Stem Brocolli?
Step 1: Cut off the Floret Stems from where they meet the base
This is an important step, especially for beautification purposes; keeping the stems long. Take a sharp knife, hold the Broccoli facing toward the cutting board, and carefully cut the Broccoli Floret right from the stem connecting with the larger Stalk. The Stalk is edible, tender, nutritious, and delicious, so do NOT throw it away.
Note: However, if you are using the Broccoli for soups or if you desire to cut your vegetable small (less of a stem), you must cut the stem shorter.
Step 2: Cut each floret into half.
In this step, we are aiming to cut the Florets evenly. There are many Florets, some in the perfect size, but some can be huge and need to be cut. From the base of the stems, cut the Broccoli Florets into half, use your hands and pull apart the florets. You need to be careful at this stage; try to cut each Broccoli Florets in an even shape, as it looks beautiful when cooked (it is okay if you cannot perfectly cut them, we all are humans, after all).
How to Cut Short Stem Brocolli?
The longer Broccoli Florets you just cut are perfect for some recipes such as Stir fry or Roasted Broccoli, but sometimes you may require Broccoli Florets that are smaller in size. So in case you need to cut your Florets into smaller sizes, you must:
- Cut the large stem carefully, right from where the Dark green bud starts. Make sure to leave 1 cm of the stem to the bud, or else the Floret will break into tiny pieces.
- Now hold the Floret upside down; very carefully slice the Floret into smaller pieces.
- Use your fingers and pull apart the Florets. You may have you do it three or four times depending on the size of the Floret and how small you want it to be.
How to Wash and Store your cut Broccoli Florets?
I always recommend my users to wash the Broccoli after cutting them into Florets for two main reasons.
- When the Broccoli is dry, it is easier to cut.
- When the Broccoli Florets are cut into smaller sizes, they are easier to wash as more surface area can be washed to drain away all the dirt. You can put the freshly cut Florets into a Colander and thoroughly rinse it with water.
- Make sure you drain all the water out. This will help you in cooking along with storing it for a longer time.
To store your cut Broccoli, keep them in an airtight container in your fridge for about 5 days or even more.
