I have just picked and cooked my very first head of broccoli only to find I had also cooked about 15 caterpillars with it! It made me feel physically sick...urghh. I had washed it really thoroughly but they must have been tucked up inside the head, is there any way of avoiding this in the future?
Unfortunately it had to go in the bin as I couldn't stomach it after that!!
:o
I usually give broccoli or caulis a quick wash over the garden, then at home soak it in a bowl of salted water for about 10 mins before cooking, this usually gets rid of any nasties.
Thanks JennyM, I will give that a go if I can ever get the thought of boiled caterpillar's out of my head!!
I usually soak in salted water with a drop of vinegar added. Seems to work for me.
Hate to tell you this, but I find very little actually gets rid of them all. When I freeze any veggie I prepare it first by soaking in salted water for about an hour, then I drop into boiling water for 2 minutes, then back into ice cold water to chill quickly. Then I pack and freeze.
However, I find even after I have soaked in salted water , when I go to tip the boiling water out of the cooking pot after blanching, I have to scim off the dead floating caterpillars that were still hiding in the broccoli when it went into the pot.
The salted water may have stunned or killed them but many still in the brocolli and not visible when they went in the pot.
I suspect we eat a lot more than we think
Sorry
XX Jeannine
Get yourself to Australia on the next "Get me out of here" ;D ;D ;D
I wash them in water with vinegar in, seems to do an ok job.
LOL KTLawson !!
I find prevention the best method as I'm afraid I'm a bit squeamish of added protein and won't eat them if I spot a caterpillar. I've found netting brasicas the best way to keep them clear of wiggly things. Although I still have a quick look to to double check, if I have any doubts I soak in salted water too.
It's not caterpilla's i have a problem with it's flies. I have soaked in salt etc, even over night and rinsed and rinsed but still when i boil it i have loads of flies coming to the surface of the water...yuk, i then can't bring myself to eat it.
A couple of years ago i grew some under environmesh which was great for the first couple i had then after that the flies got in (must have been when i lifted the first two they got in)
So i just don't grow it in the summer - though spring broccoli doesn't seem to have the flies