Title: How to Harvest and Eat Broccoli Leaves - Gardening Channel
Headings: How to Harvest and Eat Broccoli Leaves
How to Harvest and Eat Broccoli Leaves
by Matt Gibson
Rise of the Foliage
Why Broccoli Leaves?
How to Cut and Harvest Broccoli Leaves
How To Use Broccoli Leaves In The Kitchen
Want to learn more about harvesting and using broccoli leaves?

Content: The flavor is reminiscent of broccoli, and is slightly bitter, earthy, and slightly sweet. Their sweetness increases as you apply a bit of heat, yet unlike many other common greens, broccoli leaves are not quick to wilting and will not cook down to a fraction of their original size once you turn up the heat. Harvest the smaller, younger leaves of the broccoli plant to mix with other leafy greens in a raw salad, as the smaller leaves are the most tender and have a milder flavor than the larger, more mature leaves of the plant. Medium size leaves are the perfect size and texture to stuff with vegetables and meat (like cabbage rolls). Use the mature, larger leaves for braises, soups, and stews, as they can benefit from higher temperatures and longer cooking times. The larger leaves have a tougher texture when raw, but become tender when cooked. Cooking the larger leaves also allows them to soak up the flavors of the other vegetables, meats, oils, and spices that you are cooking them with. When cooking with the larger leaves, remove as much of the stems as you can prior to cooking, as they (like the stems of collards, chard, and other large greens) are too fibrous to enjoy. With so much going for broccoli leaves, it’s surprising that they are not much more popular than they are. Popular greens like collards, kale, mustard greens, and cabbage, continue to dominate the greens section in the produce aisle, and broccoli is seemingly only valued for its crown.