Problem with Cauliflower?

[donedigging]

Hi all,

I hope someone can help...?

I am growing "all year round" and have noticed that the curds of one is beginning to turn purple???

Can it still be harvested?? but don't understand why ?? as the rest are still white??

Last year most went brown, hands up, my fault as I didn't prepare the ground properly

[Johnboy]

Hi DD,
It is probably a rogue seed. There are several varieties of Purple Cauliflower and I think that you actually have a bargain as purple variety seed is quite expensive as compared to All Year Round.
JB.

[Geoff]

Do you mean purple or pink? Cauliflowers often go pink on the surface with me, not sure if it is sun or rain that does it but it isn't a problem.

[donedigging]

Thank you Johnboy.

Thank you Geoff, have been too check again at the colour and it seems to be a dark pink rather than purple.

As long as I can still harvest it, then that's great.

[Beryl]

I think it is the sun. Break one or two of the larger leaves over the curds to protect them.

Beryl.

[Colin_M]

Agreed with Beryl's suggestion.
In answer to your first question, one or two of mine started white, then as they were going past the point where I should have harvested them (my fault) they developed pink tinges in patches across the curds.

[donedigging]

Thank you Beryl, will do that tomorrow.

Thank you Colin, were yours still edible?

[Colin_M]

Thank you Colin, were yours still edible?

Yes, they were fine. It depends what your expectations of home grown veg are and also how you're going to cook them. I imagine that as Cauliflower cheese, with some slices of tomato on top, finished under the grill, you'd barely notice a slight pink tint.

Probably more to worry about (taste wise) if you have caterpillars hiding inside the curds!!

[donedigging]

Hi Colin,

I left the "pink" cauliflower in the ground to see what would happen....

It's now "blown", (the curds have all split)

Thanks for that thought about the caterpillars !!

[Parsons Jack]

Hi Donedigging,

There's nothing wrong with a bit of steamed caterpillar

[Beryl]

perfect with a nice cheese sauce!!!

Beryl.

[donedigging]

Hi PJ and Beryl,

All I can say is, that is not nice!!!!!!

[Colin_M]

There's nothing wrong with a bit of steamed caterpillar

Well.... my wife has refused to eat caulis for the last 25 years because, as a child, her family were reliant on home grown veg and her dad tried to get maximum yield from everything and never had access to Enviromesh.

As a result, her abiding memory of cauliflowers is the smell of the boiling caterpillars that (try as they might) they'd been unable to remove from inside the curds before cooking.

Bless her, she's actually ventured to try some our own ones this year and says she quite likes them. Thank goodness for netting and an early summer with very few butterflies

[Beryl]

Joking apart to enjoy cauli without caterpillers, grow an early maturing variety before the butterflies are about. I can recommend Igloo.

Cook curds in about an inch of water so they are steamed and not boiled.
Beryl.

[Monika]

If you break the cauli up into florets and soak them in some salty cold water for about half an hour (they may need weighing down with a plate or saucer), the caterpillars will lose their grip and float out. Then give the florets a good wash under running water and you shouldn't have any more problems with them.