Brussels Sprouts on a Stalk

[robyn]

OK - I get a bit carried away when I shop for the holidays. One of our stores had brussels sprouts still on the stalk. They looked cute. So now I have a 2 foot stalk of brussels sprouts sitting in the refrigerator. Anything special I have to do to get the brussels sprouts off the stalk? If there are too many (and it seems like there are lots compared to how many I need tomorrow) - how long should they last on the stalk? Is there anything I should do to make them last longer? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Robyn

[Joisey]

I've been a chef for 15 years and this is the first time I've ever dealt with them on a stalk too. I'm guessing once you cut them off, you would treat them as you would bagged.

[snowangel]

You do them the same way as if the stalk was still in the ground and you wanted but a few. Either snap them off or cut them off with a knife.

[srhcb]

I really thought Brussels Sprouts grew like little cabbages until a friend of mine planted them in his garden one year. They're the damnest looking plant!

SB

Edited November 23, 2006 by srhcb (log)

[BarbaraY]

This is the first time I've ever seen Brussels sprouts on the stalk in a grocery store. They just started selling them last week.

They cost considerably more than the loose ones. I think it may be a gimick to get people to buy more sprouts. I would buy them anyway. (Well, yes I actually did buy them, loose not on the stalk.)

[srhcb]

Could you maybe cook them on the stalk, sur la tige, and pass the whole plant around the table for service?

SB

[John S.]

Could you maybe cook them on the stalk, sur la tige, and pass the whole plant around the table for service?

SB 

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That offers a funny mental picture!

What I like about brussel sprouts on the stalk is that they stay fresh for so long in the fridge. The damnest part is bagging them in then produce aisle. We'll be having some today! Happy Thanksgiving, all.

JohnS.

[GTO]

I'm actually impressed by the size of your refrigerator!

[RobertCollins]

I bought a couple stalks a couple weeks ago. They were sweeter than the precut ones and a stalk was about the same price per pound cut off as the store was selling the precut.

I've grown them and eaten them when I've walked thru the snow to get them.

We just finished a few with Thanksgiving supper, they really ae good.

You really do not need a big reefer if you leave them in the garden until you want them. I live in the coastal area of the pacific NW, they work here.

Edited November 24, 2006 by RobertCollins (log)

[srhcb]

I've grown them and eaten them when I've walked thru the snow to get them.

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"The plant will withstand frost and can be harvested until freezes occur. The best quality sprouts are produced during periods of sunny days and light frosts at night." - Douglas C. Sanders, Extension Horticultural Specialist, Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University

Sounds like the perfect crop for Northern Minnesota!

SB (will try and remember to plant some next year)

[robyn]

I'm actually impressed by the size of your refrigerator!

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No need to be impressed . They were in the small refrigerator in my garage. Just stood the stalk on end - on the diagonal from the left back to the right front of the refrigerator. Had to move some things around - but it worked fine. If worse comes to worse - you can always cut the stalk in half!

Just thought I'd report back that considering how many sprouts we got off the stalk yesterday - and how many are still left today - that this is actually a pretty economical way to buy brussels sprouts. Plus they were very fresh. Which is important for my dish (a salad which contains halved sprouts cooked for just a few minutes in the oven with butter and pecans).

Overall - I give this product a thumbs up - although I have no intention of trying to grow them in Florida . Robyn

[Kent Wang]

I have heard of people decorating a brussel sprout stalk instead of a tree for Christmas.

[silentmeow]

I grow an entire flat every year and freeze them. I like to pick them when they are about one inch in diameter. They are sweet if picked after a couple of mild frosts. I pick them through December and the deer finish them off during the winter. Can't believe they charge more for the stalked sprouts! It takes more work to get them off the stalk! I have stored them in the fridge for up to a week and had no problem with them spoiling. I love them added to a pot roast.