Kristina Jackson, a natural food chef and holistic lifestyle consultant, gives advice on how to select the best cauliflower from your local farmers market.
Step 1: Check the Cauliflower's Color
The first thing
to check is the overall color of the cauliflower. Most cauliflowers are
white or off-white (cream) in color, and this shade should be consistent throughout. According to expert Kristina, the ideal cauliflowers are ones that show all-over uniformity in color. There should be no spots or brown blemishes apparent on the head.
Step 2: Check the Structure of the Cauliflower
In addition to color, structure is also an indicator of the quality of a head of cauliflower. Examine the cauliflower to ensure the florets making up the bulb are tight and closely knit together. Overall, they should feel crisp and firm. Soft cauliflower may have been sitting on the shelf for too long, and is likely to not taste fresh.
How to Select the Best Asparagus
How to Select the Best Beet
How to Select the Best Blood Orange
How to Select the Best Broccoli
How to Select the Best Pear
How to Select the Best Brussels Sprout
How to Select the Best Kale
How to Select the Best Fennel
How to Select the Best Onion
References
Meet Our Experts
-
Kristina Jackson
A graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition at Columbia University, natural food chef Kristina Jackson is a certified holistic health and lifestyle consultant. She is also the editor of the blog "The Whole Idea" which, according to Jackson, "takes us on a journey to experience all that life has to offer…naturally. Clean food, good fun and healthy, conscious living."
Tips for How to Select the Best Cauliflower
- Look for uniformity in color
- Avoid cauliflower with brown spots
- Cauliflower should feel firm and crisp, not soft
About Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a cool-season cruciferous vegetable in the same family as broccoli, cabbage, kale, turnip and mustard. Upon reaching maturity, it produces a large, fleshy head made up of tightly-knit florets that are harvested before the flowers open.
White cauliflower is the most common variety, though there are also orange and green cauliflowers on the market. In addition, there are cauliflower hybrids that are cross-bred with broccoli.
Cauliflower contains nutrients such as vitamin C, which is essential for healthy skin, potassium, fiber, and folic acid. Experts tout cauliflower as a health-boosting food that can help combat numerous diseases.http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/cauliflower-health-boost
Medical research published in 2007 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that consuming cauliflower more than once a week reduced the chances of men contracting prostate cancer by 52 percent.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6927359.stm
