Bad broccoli does not only change its taste, but it also causes sickness to the person who eats it. Learn how to tell when broccoli is bad with our guide below!
How To Tell When Broccoli Is Bad? | Pad Outdoor
Broccoli has
experienced immense popularity recently because of its high vitamins and
mineral contents. This green vegetable is a good source of folate and helps
build collagen which the body needs to repair torn tissue. This is exactly the
reason why broccoli is a popular ingredient of athletes’ and gym-goers’ diet.
Hoarding broccoli
in your fridge is not a good practice though. This is because bad broccoli can
cause food poisoning.
So, how to tell when broccoli is bad?
Before we discuss
that, let’s first talk about the different tips on how to store broccoli the
right way:
The
most efficient way of prolonging the shelf life of broccoli is storing it in
the fridge with its head still intact. A whole head of broccoli lasts longer
than the cut or cooked ones.
Tip:
Do NOT wash the broccoli before storing them in the fridge. The water will only
add extra moisture that can attract molds to the broccoli.
When Cut, Blanch The Florets First.
On
the other hand, when storing broccoli that is cut into florets, it is best to
blanch them first. Since the head is already missing, they can easily rot
faster. To stop the enzyme from being active, blanching will definitely help.
Blanching
is a known preservation technique that is a pre-requisite to freezing some
vegetables. This process involves dipping the broccoli florets into hot water
for a minute or two.
Cooked Broccoli should be cooled down first.
Lastly,
cooked broccoli is very tricky to store as other ingredients are already added
to the vegetable. In fact, leaving cooked broccoli for more than 2 hours at
room temperature can already make it go bad.
The
best way to lessen this is to place the broccoli in an airtight container.
Moreover, this container should be wrap with aluminum foil or even plastic
which serves as moisture protection. However, cooked broccoli should be
consumed within 5 days.
How To Tell When Broccoli Is Bad?
So, you have stored
the broccoli properly but somehow forgot about it for weeks.
Is it still safe to
eat?
Learn the signs on how to tell when broccoli is bad below:
1. Refer To Its Color.
The
first tell-tale sign to identify bad broccoli is its color. The normal color of
broccoli is lush green while the head is a bit lighter shade. But when the
florets show a sign of yellow dots, the vegetable may already be spoiled.
Moreover,
eating this broccoli will not give any nutrients at all since this already lost
all its vitamins and other nutrients.
2. Molds! Molds! Molds!
Another
sign that you should really look for is the presence of molds. If a floret has
been infected with molds, it is best to just throw the whole head out. Don’t
risk eating mold-infected broccoli.
Molds
can cause stomach ache, vomiting, and food poisoning. This causes the broccoli
to look yellow and makes it look disfigured and ugly looking.
3. Bad Smell
Aside from the color and the presence of molds, you need to use your sense of smell as well. Some bad broccoli doesn’t show any signs of color change or molds, but when you smell it, you can detect a strange odor.
When
the smell of the vegetable is a bit bitter (or a bit harder than normal), best
avoid consuming it. Broccoli should smell fresh and no trace of bad odor.
4. Different Texture
Fresh broccoli is known to have a chunky and hard texture. That is why having a good
feel of its florets will help you sort out the bad ones.
When
the broccoli becomes slimy to touch, it means the broccoli is undergoing a process
called putrefaction or rotting of the inside tissue. Do not attempt to eat it
and just throw it away.
5. Soft Stem
Another
part of the broccoli that you can check is its stem. Hard trunks and stems mean
fresh and healthy broccoli. The soft ones are an indication of rotting, so do
not consume it.
