Can you dehydrate Brussels Sprouts? This question came in to Easy Food Dehydrating not too long ago. The answer: Yes, you can dehydrate these tiny tasty veggies!
Even though I don't have Brussels sprouts listed in our top 16 veggies, you certainly can dehydrate them like their veggie cousins!
Treat them as you would broccoli if your aim is to keep their bright green color that requires blanching, which is covered in the broccoli section. I realize they're more akin to miniature cabbages, so if their color isn't a concern for you, treat them like you would when dehydrating cabbage.
Rinse the sprouts first. If you need to peel the outer layers of the sprouts, just cut off a bit of the hard-stem base to make peeling off the outer leaves a little easier.
This gives you with a nice flat bottom so you can safely cut the Brussels sprouts in half.
Then follow the broccoli dehydrating instructions or cabbage instructions.
After re-hydrating the sprouts, consider baking them like this super cheesy quiche from a site called 12 Tomatoes! Here's the Brussels Sprouts & Gruyere Quiche recipe link.
I know many folk turn their noses up at Brussels sprouts—yes, I know they are quite a pungent, bitter vegetable, but you can make them taste a little sweeter by frying 'em up in a pan with slices of sweet country ham.
I can only imagine how good the sprouts are with the sweetness of the ham!
I have one of Gordon Ramsay's excellent cook books. I was learning how to cook a turkey properly one Christmas. He had a brilliant suggestion: saute sliced Brussels sprouts in a pan along with diced bacon.
Don't underestimate these tiny powerhouses.
100 grams of sprouts provide just 45 calories. They have 3.38 g of protein, 3.80 g of dietary fiber (10% of RDA) and zero cholesterol.... Brussels sprouts are excellent sources of vitamin-C; 100 g sprouts provide about 85 mg or 142% of the RDA.
When steamed, they have a cholesterol-lowering benefit, according to The George Mateljan Foundation. The foundation says, "You'll want to include Brussels sprouts as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat regularly if you want to receive the fantastic health benefits provided by the cruciferous vegetable family."
Brussels sprouts are a type of cabbage that is typically grown in cool climates. They are planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. Brussels sprouts grow best in well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. The plants should be spaced about 18 inches apart. When the Brussels sprouts are about 2 inches in diameter, they are ready to be harvested.
To harvest Brussels sprouts, cut the stalk about an inch below the sprout. Be sure to leave at least two leaves above the sprout so that it can continue to grow. Brussels sprouts can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to two months.
Cooking Brussels sprouts is easy. Simply wash them and remove any damaged leaves. Cut the sprouts in half and cook them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. You can also roast Brussels sprouts in the oven. Simply toss them with olive oil and seasonings, and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes.
To me, they can be very strong tasting. To combat that a tad, add crumbled up bacon to them after cooking and slicing (as mentioned earlier).
Another way to eat yer sprouts is to wrap them in bacon. Get a rasher (slice) and cut it down the middle and wrap around the sprout and tuck in the end to keep the bacon in place. Bake as above.
As you may have guessed: Brussels sprouts are named after the city of Brussels in Belgium. They were first cultivated there in the 13th century.
Brussels sprouts have a strong, cabbage-like taste because they are in the same plant family as cabbage. They also contain a compound called glucosinolate, which gives them their characteristic flavor.
So there you have it. Get busy dehydrating Brussels sprouts today and enjoy them year 'round. They're not just for Christmas or Thanksgiving anymore!
Susan Gast began Easy Food Dehydrating in December 2010. Read Susan's story of what sparked her interest in all things related to "food dehydrating."
She is featured on Mother Earth News blog, and on Solo Build It (SBI) who host this site. Read her first SBI interview, and her second SBI interview.
Since 1980, Susan's involvement in publishing - in one form or another - led her to create a "review site" of products related to the publishing industry. Visit ePubTechReviews today, also hosted by Solo Build It. Susan also runs her namesake site SusanGast.com on Solo Build It that showcases the books she has written since 2010.
Do you want to send Susan a quick message? Visit her contact page here. She'd love to hear from you!