Broccoli useful properties and calorie content

Broccoli( asparagus)( Brassica cauliflora subsp. Simplex Lizg)

Broccoli is the most thermophilic of all kinds of cabbage. Homeland of broccoli is southern Italy. Hence her effeminacy. At an early age, small, up to - 2 degrees frost can kill it, but adult plants can tolerate freezing up to -5 degrees.

Broccoli differs from the color in that the flowers do not form a dense head, but rise on separate paniculate fleshy stems 15-25 cm long. Therefore, they call it asparagus. Inflorescences in broccoli green or violet up to 500 g.

It is known that even in the 10th century, broccoli was cultivated in Byzantium. Currently, this type of cabbage is widely distributed in Italy, on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, in the USA, England, in the Baltic States, in Ukraine. In Russia, broccoli is popular with vegetable growers, because it is very resistant to cold, withstands frosts down to -7 ° C, does not require shading heads, is less susceptible to diseases and pests.

The undoubted advantage of broccoli is that after harvesting some heads, new ones appear and yields increase.

In favorable conditions, each broccoli plant bears fruit for four months and gives over three kilograms of production per growing season.

Useful properties of

Its vitamin composition is very diverse. According to some data, it contains 0.45-1.0 mg of carotene, up to 25 mg of tocopherol, 80-140 mg of vitamin C, there are vitamin B, PP and choline. It is rich in minerals: sodium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron - the content of their broccoli competes with cauliflower.

According to the presence of carotene, this culture is 7-43 times higher than other types of cabbage, beans 3-18 times, green peas - 7-8 times, pepper - 4-6 times, apples - almost 30 times and oranges in 16time.

Ascorbic acid in broccoli is 2,2-2,4 times more than in white-bellied and kohlrabi, 1.5 times more than in color, and only slightly less than in green parsley and sweet pepper - recognized suppliers of this vitamin.

According to the content of riboflavin, niacin and folacin, broccoli is not inferior to white cabbage, red cabbage and kohlrabi. By the presence of thiamine( 0.25 mg%) is the first among all types of cabbage and the most important vegetable crops.

The presence of folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, methionine and choline in broccoli significantly improves the medicinal qualities of this product. Broccoli cabbage helps to quickly restore strength, so it is recommended for those who are weakened after illness or who have undergone surgery. She must be present in the diet of children and pregnant women. Scientists have established that broccoli cabbage contains the substance sulforaphane, which destroys bacteria that promote the development of stomach ulcers. This vegetable is also considered an excellent preventive against cancer. With the regular use of it as a food, the probability of atherosclerosis is significantly reduced. It should be remembered that broccoli is a wonderful cosmetic remedy, slows down the aging process in the body.

Broccoli cabbage normalizes the exchange of female sex hormones - estrogens, blocks the carcinogenic effect of their metabolites, causing growth of tumor cells in the uterus, ovaries, breast, testes, prostatitis, thyroid, gastrointestinal tract( stomach, rectum, pancreas).

Broccoli cabbage accelerates excretion of harmful substances from the liver: metabolic products of alcohol-containing substances, allergic substances, strengthens and supports the activity of natural systems of organism purification in chronic inflammatory processes.

Broccoli cabbage is especially valuable in its composition, vitamin C, which can last more than a year. In the broccoli cabbage contains phytoncides, which have antibacterial effect. Fresh juice of broccoli cabbage is used in the treatment of peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Broccoli cabbage juice helps to heal ulcers and quickly leads to recovery or significant improvement in health.

Folk medicine recommends the juice of broccoli cabbage for spleen diseases, jaundice, and in a mixture with decoction from cabbage seeds - for insomnia. Wet juice of cabbage broccoli reduces warts, and seeds have anthelminthic effect.

Use broccoli in the same way as cauliflower, however it is more delicate and tasty. Broccoli is one of the most rich in mineral elements cabbage. In addition, it contains an easily digestible protein, which contains methionine and choline, which have an antisclerotic effect and slow down the aging process. Therefore, it is called "cabbage of eternal youth".Broccoli is indispensable in the nutrition of the elderly. Broccoli does not scream, can not be preserved or frozen, it is consumed fresh.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of

The following is the content of nutrients( calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) per 100 g of edible part.
Nutritional information
Caloric value 34 kcal
Proteins 2,82 g
Fats 0.37 g
Carbohydrates 6.64 g
Dietary fiber 2.6 g
Water 89.3 g
Mono and disaccharides 1.7 g
Ash 0, 87 g

Vitamins
Vitamin A 0.386 mg
Vitamin PP 0.639 mg
Vitamin A( RE) 386 μg
Vitamin B1( thiamine) 0.071 mg
Vitamin B2( riboflavin) 0.117 mg
Vitamin B5( pantothenic) 0.573 mg
Vitamin B6(pyridoxine) 0.175 mg
Vitamin B9( folic) 63 μg
Vitamin C 89.2 mg
Vitamin E( TE) 0.78 mg
Vitamin K( phylloquinone) 101.6 μg
Vitamin PP( Niacinth equivalent) 1,1071 mg

Macro elements
Calcium 47 mg
Magnesium 21 mg
Sodium 33 mg
Potassium 316 mg
Phosphorus 66 mg

Trace elements
Iron 0.73 mg
Zinc 0.41 mg
Copper 49 μg
Manganese 0, 21 mg
Selenium 2.5 μg

Application in cooking

Broccoli is a valuable dietary product, it is used in medical nutrition for radiation diseases, it is recommended for it with diseased liver and atherosclerosis. Eat broccoli as a salad in raw form or boiled, it is stewed and fried in oil. It can be served as an independent dish and as a side dish to meat and fish, cook soups from it. Broccoli is preserved and frozen in plastic bags. In the food go kochanchiki and stems. To taste it is close to cauliflower, but more spicy and spicy.

You can eat broccoli as raw, as in boiled, fried, paren, along with stems and leaves, because all cabbage is completely rich in medicinal substances.

Raw food of broccoli cabbage is best to start with adding it to salads. Just add a little fresh broccoli to any vegetable salad, and fill it to taste, as broccoli fits perfectly with sour cream, and is also an excellent side dish for meat and fish.

When preparing broccoli, remember that with prolonged heat treatment, useful substances are destroyed, and therefore add broccoli at the very end of cooking.

It is useful to know that when cooking broccoli in a microwave oven, there will be a loss of up to 85% of its main useful qualities, while steaming will only reduce them by 6%.The most useful way of cooking can be considered slow quenching in a small amount of water and no longer than 10 minutes. This will save all the useful substances, as well as supply them with water, in which cabbage was stewed. This makes soup with the addition of broccoli a fount of vitamins. Broccoli Cake.

400 grams of ready-made puff pastry, 800 grams of frozen broccoli, 300 grams of frozen boiled shrimp, 8 eggs, 1 glass of milk, 1 glass of cream, salt, pepper, grated nutmeg.

1) Defrost the dough. Heat oven to 220 ° C.

2) Boil broccoli in boiling water( 8 minutes).Put on a towel, allow to cool and dry. Defrost the shrimp.

3) Roll the dough, sprinkle it with a little flour. Cut out the baking dish( 26 cm) with a parchment, and put the dough on top.

4) Broccoli and thawed shrimps put on the dough.

5) Shake eggs, milk and cream, add salt, add pepper and nutmeg. Pour on the broccoli. Bake the cake in the oven at the bottom level for 50 minutes. Potato with broccoli

4 large potatoes cleaned, cut and baked in preheated oven for 45 minutes until cooked( the potatoes can be baked in the microwave).Boil broccoli cabbage( 500 g) until soft. Combine 3/4 cups of beer, 2 hours of spoonful of starch, 1/2 h of sweet mustard, red ground pepper, bring to a boil, add 250 g of grated cheese "Cheddar".Put the broccoli on the potatoes and pour the sauce.

Broccoli salad

500 g of broccoli, 1-2 carrots, 1 cucumber, 50 g of green onions, 1-2 tablespoons.spoons of vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp cumin, vinegar or lemon juice, salt, sugar, "black ground pepper.

Cumin pour hot water and soak for 20-30 minutes. Broccoli and carrots boil in salted water. Broccoli put on a sieve, drain and divide into water 3-4 cm long. Grate the carrots on a large grater. Salted or pickled cucumber cut into thin slices, chop the green onions. All mixed with vegetable oil, pour vinegar or lemon juice and water, which was soaked caraway seeds. Season to taste with sugar, salt, ground pepper.

Cultivation of

Broccoli seedlings should be sown in several receptions, with an interval of a week, or sow simultaneously varieties with different maturation periods.

Of the early hybrids there are Dwarf F1, Kermit F1, Brogan F1 and Lucky F1( 70-80 days), from the average maturity period - Fiesta F1 and Coronado F1( about 90 days).

In the North-West region, broccoli are sown in seedlings in the first days of May to a depth of 2 cm, two seeds per well. Then, when two real leaves form in the plants, one plant is left in each well, cutting the weaker one from the soil level. Early varieties will be ready around mid-July, later in August.

Broccoli more than other cabbage varieties needs rich in humus soil. The soil must necessarily be neutral, even slightly alkaline pH 7-7.5.

This cabbage is very demanding for the presence of microelements in the soil, especially boron, so it will have to be systematically fed with "Uniflor-micro" solution or give a solution of any other trace elements that necessarily contain boron. If micronutrients are not present, then feed weekly with an ordinary infusion of ashes with the addition of boric acid( l / 3 tsp spoon per solution bucket).

Nitrogen top dressing should be done very limited, because excess nitrogen in the soil inhibits the formation of heads and causes rapid growth of the leaves, to the detriment of the crop. However, on poor soils you will have to feed the mullein or weed infusion weekly if you do not have a mullein.

Broccoli is particularly demanding for good lighting, moderately warm temperature, moderately moist soil and air. In severe heat, especially with a lack of moisture, the stem becomes rigid and fibrous, the heads are formed small and quickly scattered into separate flowers. In contrast to cauliflower, broccoli does not have white heads, but color, a variety of colors - from light green to dark green, yellowish or violet, and all flowers are yellow and fairly large. The head of broccoli is less dense than that of cauliflower.

The most difficult thing is to learn how to cut the heads in time. Even in the evening they were quite dense, and in the morning you see bunches of flowers instead of heads. The ready inflorescence within 2-3 days will break up into separate inflorescences and immediately bloom. From this moment the cabbage becomes inedible.

After cutting the main head, do not rush to remove the plant from the bed, because of the sinuses of the upper leaves, it is necessary to form heads, though small, but in large quantities.