Broccoli is one of the well-loved vegetables, but not many know how to tell if broccoli is bad. Read our 5-minute guide to know all the tricks that work!
Some vegetables take a long time to rot while others are very susceptible to molds and rotting. Luckily, broccoli is nothing like the latter.
Today’s blog is dedicated to inspiring home cook and wannabes who want to serve nothing but the freshest and healthiest broccoli dish.
Let’s get started!
Contents
How Long Can Broccoli Stay Fresh?
Ideally, it is best to consume fresh broccoli as soon as possible. But just in case you have a lot and need to store away some of it, then you only have 2 to 3 days before the freshness is long gone.
BUT.
There are always tricks to store broccoli the right way. It may not be the freshest anymore, but the taste is still the same, which we will save for another blog.
How To Tell If Broccoli Is Bad?
There are several ways to tell if broccoli is bad, but the three most common ways to do it are outlined below:
1. The Color Change
How to tell if broccoli is bad?
Well, this is the easiest indicator as you can see it directly with your own eyes, given to the fact that broccoli has no skin of outer covering at all. The freshest broccoli should be deep green in color with its stem in a lighter shade.
Once it goes bad, the once healthy-looking green color will turn into yellow with black spots at times. If you start to see some yellow specks in your broccoli, then you might be running out of time and need to cook it already.
In some cases, a little bit of yellow spots in the broccoli is not quite bad, but it will alter the taste and make the broccoli bitter.
2. The Molds
Another indicator if broccoli has gone bad is to always watch out for molds. Sometimes, you see white spots with fuzzy feel appear on the florets of the broccoli, this means that it’s starting to absorb moisture which is a good breeding ground for molds.
If you intend to store the broccoli for a couple more days, avoid washing the florets before storage. The water droplets that cling to broccoli encourage this pathogen from forming, which is usually the case for most Brassica vegetable species such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and turnips.
3. The Texture
The third indicator is the texture. Fresh broccoli is tough and fibrous. But if it already goes bad, it will turn limp and mushy. It will lose its natural firmness and would taste rather bad when cooked.
How To Extend Broccoli’s Shelf Life?
Well, there are a lot of ways, but the common ones are:
Chilled In The Fridge
If broccoli is left at room temperature, it will lose its freshness a lot faster. That is why it is a wise idea to always put your vegetables, broccoli, included in your refrigerator. Make sure you store them in vegetable freezer away from dripping liquids.
Wrap It U
Another method is to make use of transparent plastic cover. Just slice off the florets that you need and wrap the remaining florets of broccoli for later use. The plastic serves as a protection from excess moisture and other pathogens. It is also a good idea to keep broccoli away from ripe fruits and vegetables with black spots on them.
Air No More
If you have no plastic wrap, then an airtight and sealed container is another option. While it is a good practice to wash broccoli before storage, just skip this process and only wash broccoli when you are ready to cook it.
You may also pat the broccoli with a paper towel to absorb any moisture before sealing it inside the container. Doing so will allow the broccoli to last for about a week.
What Happens If I Accidentally Eat Bad Broccoli?
Eating a bad broccoli is not really that serious unless you have some underlying conditions and a sensitive tummy. Fortunately, yellow broccoli florets and the lump ones are not poisonous. The worst thing you can get out of eating bad broccoli could be diarrhea and upset stomach.
But we should not downplay the discomfort that these symptoms cause to us. So, before you cook broccoli, check first if it is already bad.
