How to Clean Broccoli: 8 Healthy Steps!

As a vegan, how to clean broccoli is something you should know. To get the best advantage, cleaning is a substantial process.

Broccoli is a fantastic vegetable full of vitamins and fiber. If you’re using broccoli to make a soup or a stew, you should cut the stems out and peel them, then add them to your dish. You can also add broccoli greens to soups, stews, and stir-fries.

Broccoli is actually a very nutritious vegetable. In addition to the antioxidants, it contains, broccoli also has properties that help us fight cancer and heart disease.

Broccoli contains glucosinolates, substances with anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal effects. But perhaps broccoli’s most amazing property is its ability to stimulate the production of enzymes that eliminate toxins in the intestines while increasing the affinity of our cells for detoxifying nutrients.

Moreover, broccoli is one of the most powerful foods you can eat for your health. It’s loaded with vitamin C, Vitamin K, fiber, folate, phosphorous, potassium, choline, and manganese. But, you can get the best benefit of it if you can clean it in the right way!

If you’re clueless on how to clean broccoli, then you’re at the right place because I’m going to show you exactly how you should clean it.

How to clean broccoli

1. Cut the broccoli following the branches

The first thing you should do before you start to wash your broccoli is to cut it properly.

To be precise, your broccoli needs to be cut into small chunks so that it’s easier for you to wash and more convenient for you and your family.

An easy and handy thing to do is to cut the broccoli underneath the spear and go up, and then chop it in four to five pieces — this way the broccoli becomes easier to wash while you also get more pieces.

Improperly-cut broccoli is also more prone to dirt and bacteria and makes it harder for you to clean and prep it. Not to mention that this method makes it easier for you to clean all broccoli branches.

2. Examine the broccoli branches carefully

After the broccoli has been cut into small branches, check each one carefully.

Examine each piece of broccoli carefully in order to remove any dirt or pests that may be clinging to it. 

It is very important to check whether there are any chunks of dirt stuck in there because that will just give it a bad taste and you also run the risk of food poisoning.

Also, check whether there are stubborn caterpillars that have eaten some of the broccoli.

3. Prune away damaged leaves and bad parts

It is crucial to remove any damaged or discolored leaves of broccoli or other vegetables before you begin to clean them.

Any damaged leaf area of the vegetable will harbor bacteria and may lead to food poisoning. If parts of the broccoli are discolored or appear bruised or deformed, these damaged areas should be cut off for health reasons.

4. Soak broccoli in saltwater

The next way you can make sure your broccoli stays pest-free is by washing it with saltwater.

The solution helps repel pests, including the bugs, insects, or caterpillars, from your broccoli plants.

This brine solution is useful for repelling bugs and pests that like to eat your vegetable or flower bed. Saltwater is slightly acidic which makes it easier for you to wash away any dirt or grime.

For this recipe, you take 100 ml (about 1/8 of a cup) of water and dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in it. Mix the solution together and pour it over your vegetables. Wait for 5 minutes and rinse off all the brine.

Next, put the broccoli into a bucket of saltwater.

Soak the broccoli in the bucket for about five to ten minutes.

By doing this, you can ensure a better taste from the broccoli.

This process also removes insects from the broccoli. If there is any unpleasant bug on the surface of the water, such as roaches or flies, remove it and throw it away immediately.

5. Spray it with vinegar (optional)

Adding vinegar is a great way to clean vegetables.

The acid content found in vinegar is perfect for killing bacteria, and it also adds an extra layer of protection against insects. This washing solution is great because it’s cheap, easy to use, and best of all, it tastes great!

This is a very simple hack to help keep your broccoli fresh. Just mix up an equal amount of vinegar and warm water, put it in a spray bottle, and spray your broccoli with it after you’ve cleaned it.

6. Move the broccoli to a clean container

It’s important to not re-soak the broccoli in the dirty water.

It’s good to clean the broccoli with saltwater, but you need to transfer it to a new container so any bugs and germs don’t stay on the broccoli. By not re-soaking the broccoli, you can ensure safe and clean broccoli that is contained in a clean container.

7. Wash the broccoli using running water

After cleaning the broccoli using the method of soaking it in water salted with salt, one more way to create cleaner broccoli is cleaning it using running water.

It’s important to rinse all the dirt on the Borocoli vegetables clean with water. Wash the broccoli gently by rinsing it under running water. Be sure not to damage the leaves or to break the broccoli while washing it.

You need to note that the best way to wash the broccoli is by using cold water.

Using hot water to wash your vegetables will only hurt their texture and quality, but it’s especially important not to do that with leafy greens like broccoli, spinach, kale, etc. Hot water will make them go limp and limp leafy greens are no good.

8. Drain the broccoli until dry

After you wash your broccoli until it’s completely clean, the last step is to just drain it.

Be sure to store it in a dry place so that it can keep its crunchy and fresh texture.

Absolutely, if you’re planning on cooking your broccoli, it is better to cook it immediately to help retain its crunchiness. There is no better taste of broccoli than directly cooked broccoli after cleaning.

How to minimize your broccoli cleaning process

1. Always buy fresh broccoli

Buying broccoli, just like any other fresh vegetable, is quite challenging.

It’s not that easy to tell whether or not the broccoli you’re buying is still fresh. It’s similar to buying fish, for example – there are no hard and fast rules.

If you’re getting fresh produce, though, it should still look fresh. You should check the vegetable’s color – for example, if it’s dark green or light green, it’s probably not as fresh as the broccoli with a lighter green color.

Also, note the smell – fresh broccoli should smell earthy, like freshly turned soil. You also want to make sure to avoid mildew; this is an indication that the broccoli was not properly cleaned before shelf-life dating began.

When you see fresh broccoli, you know that the farmer has taken great care to grow it without any insects or caterpillars.

2. Buy it from a local farmer

Buying locally grown food is healthier for you and better for the environment.

Local farmers can provide you with fresher crops because they don’t have to go through as many transit stages as industrial farms do.

When you purchase food directly from farmer’s stalls or at their farms, you can see how they handle the food and feel confident in what you are receiving.

Buying from the local farmers will reduce the chance of pests and caterpillars coming.

Besides, you will avoid the long process of broccoli leaving the farm and traveling around before getting to your plate which increases the risk of encountering germs and other contaminants.

Conclusion

So, are you still wondering how to clean broccoli? Check these simple steps!

1. Cut the broccoli following the branches
2. Examine the broccoli branches carefully
3. Prune away damaged leaves and bad parts
4. Soak broccoli in saltwater
5. Spray it with vinegar (optional)
6. Move the broccoli to a clean container
7. Wash the broccoli using running water
8. Drain the broccoli until dry

If you want to make your own broccoli, you can read this how-to make low-maintenance vegetable gardens and how to make front yard vegetable gardens!

Cheers!