Topic: Clueless on purple sprouting broccoli!

[caroline7758]

Having never grown or eaten this before, I'm not sure at what stage it's ready to pick. The individual heads are about 3/4 inch across but further down each stem are more tiny heads. Should I wait until they grow a bit? How long a stem should I cut? Do I cut the central head first? ???

[allaboutliverpool]

I pulled my first PSB today. Just go for it, you can eat all of it, large and small buds, lesser shootsI like to include some leaves and I remove the top central bud first. It grows so rapidly that you will hardly be able to keep up with it.

Just keep it protected from pigeons!

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage

[sarah]

first of all remove the central head as this will encourage more spears to form further down the plant.  harvest as liverpool says and enjoy.  steam or boil the heads and smaller leaves as you would brocolli or greens.

[tim]

Go for long stems - they are the essence of sprouting - rather than the fluffy heads.

So let the young ones grow to at least 3".     

IMHO!!                       

[Hyacinth]

As all above, but most certainly cut out (and eat) the central head, which will encourage the psb to do what it does best....keep producing stems for you to eat until, ehat...May, thereabouts?

I am SO envious!....hope my bl**dy pigeons appreciate their gourmet meals >:(