Frozen Brussels Sprouts

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Here is one of my brussels sprouts. I planted these late last summer and left them in the ground in hopes that they would overwinter. (But this might be pushing it).

I was never a big fan of brussels sprouts. They were always in the category of lima beans – the undesirable vegetables my grandmother would coax me into eating by saying things like, “You need these. They will make your eyelashes grow long,” or “They will give you rosy cheeks.” She was a good saleswoman. I ate brussels sprouts only because they were supposed to be good for me.

That was until Juan, a fellow gardener, gave me a handful of brussels sprouts he had grown on his own last year. They were the scrawniest-looking brussels sprouts I had ever seen, but I felt compelled to at least give them a try. I simply steamed them and added butter and salt. They turned out to be the freshest, crispiest, most delicious brussels sprouts that ever crossed my lips! In that moment, I was converted. I decided to grow some myself.

If these frozen brussels sprouts don’t make it, I have a new batch waiting in the wings.