The small, delicate, bright green mini-cabbages with a nice bite, in other words Brussels sprouts, are a treat for most people. Although there are people who intensely dislike sprouts, and refuse to eat them. Their rejection might stem from early childhood, when sprouts were often cooked until they were a gray-brown mush and drowned in a buttery sauce on the plate. But according to the Landvolk press agency, if the haters could be convinced to try Brussels sprouts prepared in a modern way, for instance in a hearty casserole, as a tasty side dish to goose, as a winter stew or as vegetable topping on a pasta dish, they would surely change their minds.
Last year about 7,700 metric tons of Brussels sprouts were harvested in Germany. The 1,100 German farms cultivate the vegetable on a total of 464 hectares. The sprouts are mainly cultivated in Schleswig-Holstein, on an acreage of 140 hectares, and in Lower-Saxony 32 hectares are used for sprouts. “The 2016 harvest is in full swing; a soon as the temperatures drop the demand for hearty winter dishes increases and Brussels sprouts are extremely suitable for those dishes,” states Erich Klug, consultant vegetable cultivation of the Lower-Saxony Agricultural Chamber. The Lower-Saxony Brussels sprouts can barely be found in the supermarkets, since the cultivation surface is too small. However, the freshly harvested regional sprouts can be found in farm shops and on farmers and street markets and, together with beetroots, turnips and green cabbage fresh from the field, the range of winter vegetables is complete.
“If temperatures will not drop too much the harvest could continue until February. This year the weather was dry and the plants needed irrigation, but the quality is good,” continues Klug. The cut site of the sprouts shows a lot about the freshness, customers should check if the site isn’t dried out and brown. And the consultant also advises to try out new recipes: "Nature supplies us with these fresh and regional vegetables in winter. No need to store them, no long transport routes, there is no easier way to reduce CO²," states Klug.