Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a small, green type of cabbage with a high nutritional value and a mild, sweet flavour. Brussels sprouts were originally grown in Belgium and were named after the capital, Brussels. Here you will find out how to succeed with growing Brussels sprouts.
Growing Brussels sprouts
Growing Brussels sprouts is not that difficult. A Brussels sprout plant is a cold-tolerant plant that can stay outdoors all winter. In fact, it gives tastier sprouts after a few frosty nights. However, Brussels sprouts need quite a long time to develop. Brussels sprouts do best in a sunny, well-drained spot with neutral or slightly acidic soil.
To grow Brussels sprouts with good results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
- Sow the seeds in pots or plug trays in early spring, about 1 cm deep.
- Keep the soil moist and choose a bright, warm spot.
- At the end of May, when the small plants have at least four leaves, you can plant them out. 40-60 cm is a suitable distance between plants.
- If you grow in rows, leave at least 60 cm between the rows. Water generously when you plant them out.
- Keep the soil loose and weed during the summer, and water if it is dry.
- Feeding the plants once or twice can give you a bigger harvest.
Brussels sprouts can crop for a long time
You can start harvesting Brussels sprouts in early autumn. Leave a few leaves on the stems you pick the sprouts from. One plant can keep cropping for several months, often right up to Christmas. Brussels sprouts are at their best after one or two frosty nights. This is because Brussels sprouts have a defence against frost damage: the plant produces sugars that lower its freezing point. So Brussels sprouts become sweeter and more aromatic as a way of protecting themselves against frost.
A healthy delicacy
For many people, a Christmas dinner without Brussels sprouts is unthinkable. But the flavour does divide opinion. Like all cabbages, Brussels sprouts can taste bitter to people who are particularly sensitive to bitter compounds, which is one reason why many children do not like them.
For those of us who are not so sensitive, properly cooked Brussels sprouts can develop a sweetness and a nutty aroma that make them a real delicacy. Brussels sprouts can also taste very different depending on how they are cooked.
The tastiest way to cook Brussels sprouts might be to boil them, fry them in butter or roast them in the oven, depending on what you prefer. If you have not tried Brussels sprouts au gratin, we can highly recommend it. You can bake Brussels sprouts with cream and gorgonzola if you want a slightly heartier dish that stands on its own. You can also use ham and a strong, mature cheese if you want to do something different with Brussels sprouts for the Christmas table.
Brussels sprouts are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and fibre. They also contain antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties that are believed to help prevent various diseases.
Author: Johanna Damm
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2023-12-04