Produce Spotlight: The Ultimate Guide to Cauliflower
by Katie Webster
September 3, 2018 (updated 5/20/21)
Ever wondered if you can regrow cauliflower? Are cauliflower stalks edible? How do you make cauliflower rice? Read up on cauliflower growing info, culinary tips and nutrition in this this month’s Produce Spotlight. It is the Ultimate Guide to Cauliflower.
Table of contents
Cauliflower Origin and Growing Information
Origin
Cauliflower is part of the “cole” vegetables family, which also includes broccoli, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. It were first cultivated in Asia Minor, and was first eaten in North America in the 17th century.
Growing Tips
Cauliflower grows best in cool, moist environments. For this reason, it is historically most popular in New England in early summer or fall. Cauliflower plants prefer to get 6 hours of direct sunlight a day and are sensitive to hot temperatures. One piece of advice is to cover plants with an old milk jug to protect them from intense sun or heat
Harvesting
Harvest cauliflower when the heads of the plant are white, firm and compact. Ideally, plants can grow 6-8 inches in diameter. Cauliflower plants should be cut with a sharp knife about 1-2 inches from the base, leaving a few leaves to protect the stem.
Cauliflower plants only produce one head. The roots can be dug and added to a compost pile if they are healthy and disease free.
Cooking and Preparing Cauliflower
Cauliflower Rice and Pizza
Cauliflower rice is made with raw cauliflower that has been finely chopped. It can be purchase or you can make your own in a food processor. The riced is then cooked. My basic cauliflower rice recipe can be seen here.
Cauliflower pizza is a trendy gluten-free and low carb alternative to pizza made with grain crust. Cauliflower is riced and steamed and excess moisture is removed. Then it is mixed with eggs and cheese and baked until it holds together. Add toppings as desired.
Freezing Cauliflower
Cauliflower can be frozen. Cut it into florets, and blanch for 1 to 2 minutes. Shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and dry well. Freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer the cauliflower to a resealable freezer bag or cryovak.
Cooking Methods
Cauliflower can become sulfurous and watery if overcooked so try to err on the side of only cooking it until tender. It can be steamed or roasted. It can also be cooked until completely soft and then made into a puree similar to mashed potatoes.
It is best paired with bold flavors such as curry or garlic and herbs as they help to balance the peppery taste. See the recipe section below for lots of healthy cauliflower recipes.
Nutrition of Cauliflower
Health Benefits
- Eating a variety of vegetables is great for your health, and cauliflower absolutely fits into that!
- Just one cup provides 90% of your daily recommended vitamin C, 15% of folate and 10% of vitamin K and potassium.
- These nutrients help you body fight illnesses, promote heart health and assist in healthy growth. They also are low in calories, low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, which is helpful for weight loss and fullness.
FAQs
Cauliflower is great eaten raw, and has a pleasant crisp texture and slightly peppery flavor. It is a nice addition to a crudité platter with dip or in a salad.
Cauliflower comes in several colors other than white, including yellow, green and purple! Not only is this beautiful, but darker varieties, such as green or purple, can contain up to 25% more vitamin C than traditional cauliflower. This is due to a beta carotene mutation that gives the plants their beautiful hues. However, no need to fret if your grocery store only has white cauliflower heads. The traditional variety has 90% of your vitamin C needs.
Cauliflower stalks are completely edible! Removing the hard outer peel makes them much easier to eat, and they can be cooked in the same way as the heads of the plant. Their nutritional make up is similar, with slightly more fiber due to their density and slightly less vitamin A. However, the nutritional difference between the head and the stalk is marginal.
Recipes
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Low Carb Cauliflower Rice
- Check out this amazing Low Carb Cauliflower Hummus made without any chickpeas or beans!
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Mexican Cauliflower Patties {low carb}
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower Power Salads {vegan}
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Cauliflower Pea and Edamame Mac and Cheese
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Healthy Pasta with Romanesco Cauliflower and Anchovies
- Cabot Creamery | Cheesy Cauliflower Tater Tots
- Cabot Creamery | Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks
- All Day I Dream About Food | Low Carb Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Casserole
- The Roasted Root | Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowls
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Curry Roasted Cauliflower
- An Edible Mosaic | Smoky Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Herbed Chickpea Dumplings
- Kalyn’s Kitchen | Pureed Cauliflower Recipe with Garlic, Parmesan and Goat Cheese
- I Breathe I’m Hungry | Cauliflower Tater Tots
- Kalyn’s Kitchen| Roasted Cauliflower with Green Olives and Pine Nuts
- Feasting At Home | Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Black Tahini Sauce
- MJ and Hungryman | Roasted Cauliflower, Tomatoes and Chickpeas with Indian Spices
- Brandi Bidot for SheKnows | Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | roasted broccoli and cauliflower with cheese
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes | instant pot cream of cauliflower soup
You can always browse the cauliflower archives here. And also I have 15 Healthy Cauliflower Recipes too, that you may want to check out.
I love this post, especially all the info on cauliflowers and the great choice of recipes! We eat a lot of purple cauliflower here in Italy. In fact, Italy is one of the few countries that grow it. Although, Italians call it purple broccoli!
I just saw some purple cauliflower at the market last week. We can only get it in the fall here in Vermont. That’s funny that it is called purple broccoli in Italy. Doesn’t really have the same type of texture. Hmm.
So much great advice here! We are thinking of growing cauliflower next year, as there is so much you can do with it.
I haven’t grown it in my garden yet either, I am always wary of the cruciferous veggies, because of worms and bugs. But I should get over it, since home-grown is always the best!
Cauliflower is my favourite vegetable, I just love the flavour and smell of the stuff… I even munch on it raw whilst I am preparing it for whatever meal it is going into! It is however my only nod towards healthy as cauliflower and butter are such wonderful bed fellows 😉
I love raw cauliflower too. And my daughters do as well! It’s great for crudite. I agree about butter, and even more so cheese!
I love cauliflower! It’s one of my favorite ingredients to cook with – such q great guide!
I love that you love cauliflower too. It really is the new kale!
What a wonderful guide to cauliflower! I love making cauliflower rice. Also, I need to look for the colourful varieties especially since they are so rich in vitamin C!
This is the time of year when you’ll see them. They are usually orange or purple. So cool!