Here we are at number 4 of our series on storing and preserving Christmas Veg. It brings us smartly to Brussel Sprouts. The supermarkets have a price cap on them from the 18th of December for 19p for a 500g bag so it’s a good time to stock up if you want to.

Brussel Sprouts have one of the worst reputations as a vegetable. Known by my kids as Satan’s Gumdrops and fart bombs that kind of gives you an idea of why they may have had a not great reputation. Causing a loathsome, raucus, explosive, green miasma to appear around 2 hours after dinner to be over after being over cooked by Great Aunt Madge to a grey/brown sludge didn’t help.

These days many of us have learnt a better way to cook and preserve them and honestly they have now become a vegetable in our house that is eaten year round and not just because mum asked us to have 2 on Christmas. In this blog I hope to point you in the directions of being able to store them well and in a way that you to can enjoy them year round.

1. STORE FRESH

Brussel Sprouts are one of the easiest vegetables to store fresh and depending how you have them will depend on the best way to do this.

If still on the stalk Brussels can be stored easily in the shed in a cardboard box or on a shelf. Keeping a damp kitchen towel on the end of the stalk can help to keep them fresher for a bit longer but for the most part this isn’t necessary and they will keep for a good couple of months. In the cold and dark.

If you have them loose and off the stalk then really they need to be kept in the fridge out of any plastic bags and into the veg crisper drawer. Make sure to layer the base of the drawer with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. They should stay there happily enough for 3-5 weeks.

2. FREEZING BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Probably the most popular way to preserve sprouts and one of the easiest as well.

Blanch your sprouts for only 1 minute and plunge in ice cold water before laying out on a baking tray in a single layer and freezing. Once frozen place them into baggie or containers of your choosing back in the freezer ready for when you want them.

It really is that simple. Yes you can freeze them whole, in halves or quarters even thin cut ribbons. It all does really well. Although I will say if you are cutting them into shreds then you won’t need to blanch them. they are easy enough to place serving sizes into individual bags or containers ready for use.

3. WATERBATHING BRUSSEL SPROUTS

It can be done, nothing wrong with doing it but honestly not something I would go out of my way to do. I have done this before but it’s definitely not high on my list of doing again unless we are in the zombie apocalypse and all we can grow for some reason are sprouts then perhaps.

If you want to give it a try then you need to add a Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the jar and a teaspoon of salt. Then of course waterbath for 2 hours.

For those who know they wll know that 2 hours of boiling for brussel sprouts can and probably will cause them to turn into something we never want to open the lid on. I have found some people like this though and that’s ok .. you do you Boo.

However not something I am going to do unless I am left with no other options.

4. PRESSURE CANNING

Pressure canning is not my subject of knowledge so I will leave it up to the experts. Now The Home Preserving Bible clearly states that there are no tested recipes for plain canning brussel sprouts and that is good enough for me… that doesn’t mean it’s not possible and it doesn’t mean people haven’t found a way. Like the two up under the graphic.

What you may notice is that these are classed as canned pickles. Not a traditional pickle as there is a very light pickle in there which is why they need the pressure canning as it isn’t enough to do the job alone. However it means you have options if this is the way you wish to go.

Please do your own research always when it comes to pressure canning or any preserving techniques as a little information can be dangerous especially if you aren’t quite sure and still have questions.

5. DEHYDRATING

Dehydrating Brussel Sprouts has to be one of the newest sensations I have come across. I mean we’ve all heard of Kale Chips but in my opinion they are one of the most awful things I could ever put in my mouth. Brussel Sprout Chips however are one of the nicest vegetable based crispy treats you could possibly make.

They don’t for the most part even need blanching I mean if you are making them into chips they don’t if you are dehydrating them as whole, halves or quarters then sure blanch them first. But as chips it isn’t necessary. They can even be made in the air fryer without too much hassle.

Dehyudrated as whole or other pieces means they are easy to pop in recipes for the slow cooker or into quiches even. You can even add them to green powder for smoothies etc or into veg stock powder. However if you are going to use them in veg stock powder use it less than you would other veg powders as they do tend to take over a bit otherwise.

6. PICKLED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Pickled Brussel Sprouts otherwise known by my kids as Frog’s Balls are one of the more popular ways to preserve brussel sprouts. Quick and simple, minimal prep and a preserving method that can literally be left to it’s own devices to do it’s thing for weeks without you. It ticks all of the boxes for me.

The pickle acts to break down alot of the bitterness many find with brussel sprouts and brings out the natural sugars as well. We tend to serve them with cold meats, cheeses and salads and they work as a wonderful way to cut through the really rich hot meals as well giving your tastebuds that wonderful sharp tang that can help get through the richer sauces and gravies.

Do check out the recipes I have linked above under the graphic.

7. FERMENTED

Like all lacto fermented foods this does bring out one of the best ways to serve and preserve brussel sprouts. Not only great for gut health but a cheap and simple way to preserve your sprouts as well.

Serve raw after fermenting or cooked exactly as you would any other time (I prefer roasted though) they make an amazing addition to any meal and help to break down fats and promote good gut health. I am honestly one of the biggest fans I know of fermented anything but for me this is one of the tastiest and lovliest ways to preserve brussel sprouts and I will definately be doing this next year.

8. SIDE DISHES AND MEALS

There are millions of sides and mains you can make with brussel sprouts. They lend themselves to quiches, curries, veggie toad in the whole, cheesey dishes, plainer dishes, meat dishes, stir fries, the possibilities are endless.

The last thing we want to ever see are those awful over cooked sludge bombs on the plate again and thankfully these days there are enough options from cooks and chefs worldwide that have experimented with and forced their families and co workers to put up with them that there will never ever ever be any need for that to happen again.

Whether you are vegetarian or omnivore there is something for everyone and most dishes can be made in advance and placed in the freezer for later use. Some can even be waterbathed or pressure canned if that’s what you want to do.

Whatever dish you choose just remember that you don’t want to really precook your sprouts as they may turn quite nasty during the defrosting and cooking process so freezing them prepped for dinner to go straight in the microwave or oven is your best option.

9. SOUPS

Surprisingly Brussel Sprouts lend themselves incredibly well to soups. Whether a blended variety or a chunky there is something everyone can enjoy and the flavours are only limited by either your imagination or your ingredients.

With nearly 3 Million recipes to look through on a Google search I’m sure you will find something you and the family will love and add to the meal rotation happily. Remember as well most recipes can be used as a jumping off point and although it may sound good you can adapt them to work for you.

Most soups can also be waterbathed or pressure canned to be made shelf stable. The majority of us though will probably want to put them in containers in the freezer to bring out and pot in the slow cooker to defrost and warm through while we are left free to do other things.

There are some amazing recipes up above under the graphic so do check them out.

10. SALADS

A surprising end to our Top 10 but honestly not one to be over looked. Salads can keep for several days happily in the fridge as long as there is no dairy, meat or mayo and are dressed with a vinagrette of some description.

A few days can make all the difference and a vinigarette can work like a pickle brine and the longer the ingredients sit in the dressing the deeper the flavour and the more they can take on. Where brussel sprouts are concerned this can be an amazing bonus.

Sure they need to be kept in a fridge and any dairy, meat or mayo you require will have to be added when serving but in the end this makes a great way to be able to preserve your brussels for a few more days when they might just be at the end of their best and not quite good enough for any other sort of preserving other than dehydrating and soups.