One of the most various vegetables in the kitchen , Brassica oleracea botrytis is a rewarding plant to grow for yourself . Knowing when to cut a cauliflower can be challenging . A lot of it depends on variety , sunlight , temperature , and nutrients . If allowed to over - mature the curd of the cauliflower will spread out , grow marvelous , and eventually bloom .
When to harvest
Most experient nurseryman will say that when a cauliflower principal reaches a diameter of 6 inches , it ’s time to edit it . This is n’t always the case . Your industrial plant may end up being smaller or even larger than this good word so it ’s significant to know what else to look for .
Since your not ship these veg across the country , it ’s alright to wait for the first sign of over - matureness to come along before harvesting . It ’s well-heeled to accidentally plunk a cauliflower psyche before it reaches its maximal size potential . It does n’t affect flavor , but wait ensures that you are develop the swelled potential head . What to look for :
From the first emergence of the head , it may take as little as 7 day to get to maturity or as many as 25 . Check your plant daily for progress . When the curd appear to relax and swell up a little second , this is a sign that it needs to be harvested .
Blanching
If you produce empurpled or orange Brassica oleracea botrytis varieties then blench is n’t necessary . When growing white cauliflower , James Leonard Farmer blanch the plants to insure that the product is arrant in color .
Blanching signify foreclose light from reach the developing Brassica oleracea botrytis headspring . To blanch take some of the prominent outer leaves and bend them over the foreland to hide it . ensure the head is ironic , you do n’t want to ensnare moisture indoors . connect them in place with string or a rubber banding , and allow them shade the head as it develops .
Do this when the head first get going to egress and has a diameter of about 2 - 3 inches . Leave them in situation until it is time to harvest . There are varieties of white cauliflower that ego - blanch . The leave naturally grow over the drumhead .
Here is a list of some ego - pale varieties :
After Harvest
To reap just cut the brain off at the base with a sharp knife or pruning shear . verify you keep a few of the surrounding leaves with the head , it will store for longer that room . The remaining industrial plant can be compost , they will not sprout again .
Soak the head in lightly salted weewee for 20 minutes to drive out any louse . Dry it off and lay in in plastic in the icebox for up to two weeks .
