Kitchen Garden Forum

My Brussels (10 plants) have done well this year and most of them are now fully formed and 'tight'. I usally like to leave them until the first frosts, but that could be many weeks, and I am worried they may start to 'burst' (go 'loose', don't know the technical term!). Should I harvest and freeze them now?
John N

You don't say which variety you are growing John but I am harvesting 'Brilliant' now an early one.

Try them and see they don't always need a frost. On the other hand most will stand for quite a time.

Beryl.

My sprouts are a Suttons F1 called 'Brigitte'. I've just found the packet, which says harvest from Oct-Dec., so I think I'll freeze a few at a time over the next few months, as well as eating some. Thanks, anyway.
John N

How do you find frozen sprouts? I always think they taste horrible and loose their crunchiness. I would leave them on the plant until you need them.

I always think they taste best fresh, but if they start to blow, you can always slice them up, stir fry and use them in colannon instead of cabbage to avoid wasting them.

We had our first sprouts today. They were great (Top Line from DT Brown) and we realised that it doesn't happen every year that the first sprouts of the season have already been frosted!

Hi Monika,
I had my first Sprouts on Saturday and they are very early for Bedford Darkmar, in fact the earliest I have ever picked sprouts. There is a goodly amount to be had but these I do not normally pick until the beginning of December but as the weather is turning colder I feel sure that they will give me sufficient for Christmas as the colder weather checks the growth. I have a variety that doesn't normally start producing until late January/February so it will be interesting to see when they become available.
I agree entirely with your comments about frozen sprouts I think that they are a disaster.
JB.

If the report in the paper today (Mail) is correct Sprouts are going to be like gold dust this year. I should guard them with your life. Crop production is down 15-20% Scare-mongering again I expect. I have enough to feed an army.

Beryl.

Put the rotweilers on guard on your allotments folks !!

I've got more sprouts than usual, as well, so I was quite surprised about apparent short supply. I've found that all my winter veg are doing well this year and put it down to the cool summer.
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Granny

I think the vegetable that will be in real short supply is our humble Potato. What with blight,
excessive rainfall and floods the crop this year is anything up to 50% of a normal year. There are an enormous amount of green potatoes this year and this is because the excessive rainfall washed the earthing-up away this exposing many erstwhile fine potatoes to light.
A 200 acre potato field, not far from me, has just been abandoned because the grower simply would not have the resources to sort them. The locals have had a field day.
They have been ploughing the field as quick as they can but would you believe 'Night Gleaning' has been occurring complete with generators and lighting sets!
JB.

I never cease to be surprised about what some people will do to get some freebies. Looks like more people will be resorting to rice and pasta this winter as alternative staples.

Yes, I agree frozen sprouts are not as nice as fresh, but I still enjoy them if they are not cooked too long. They make good Bubble and Squeak as well.
Many of my sprouts have now been covered with 'white fly' (actually they are grey!) and the frost seems to drive them deep into the sprout. Makes cleaning them a real pain!
John N

Soak in salt water John and rinse several times. that will get rid of most of the white/grey flies.

Beryl.

I saw in asda yesterday some massive sprouts, it said on the packaging they had been grown in lincolnshire, can anyone say what variety they might be or would they just be some ordinary strain beefed up with fertilisers. I would love to grow some, brussels are my absolutely all time favourite veg!

mandy