The Business of Broccoli: How to Select, Store, and Why It May Turn Yellow

Broccoli is a perishable vegetable, so a little know-how at the store and in the fridge makes a big difference. Here's what it is, how to choose a good head, how to store it, and what to do when it starts to yellow.

What Is Broccoli?

Broccoli is a green vegetable in the cabbage family. The part you eat is the flower head, a cluster of tightly packed buds called florets, along with the thick stalk beneath it. The name comes from the Italian broccolo, meaning the flowering crest of a cabbage. It's harvested before the buds open into yellow flowers.

Types you'll see at the store:

• Heading broccoli: the classic green crown, sold as whole heads, side-shoot bunches, or bagged florets.
• Sprouting broccoli: more thin stalks with smaller heads.
• Romanesco: a lime-green, cone-shaped, spiral head sold alongside broccoli and cauliflower.

The whole thing is edible. Peel the tough outer layer of the stalk and slice it into sticks or coins.

How to Select Broccoli

• Color: dark, even green, with no yellow patches or yellowing beads.
• Florets: tight and compact, not limp or spread open.
• Stalk: firm. Skip thick, woody-looking stalks.
• Smell: little to none. A strong or sour smell means it's aging.

How to Store Broccoli

Raw: get it into the fridge soon after you buy it, in a loosely closed or perforated bag, and use it within about 3 to 5 days. Keep it away from ripening fruit, which gives off ethylene gas (more on that below). Wash it under cool running water just before you use it. Cut florets are best used within a few days.

Cooked: store in an airtight container in the fridge. Cooked broccoli keeps 3 to 4 days, and leftovers should be reheated to 165°F (USDA).

Freezing: blanch first so it holds its color, flavor and texture.

1. Cut florets to about 1½ inches or smaller.
2. Boil for 3 minutes, or steam for 5.
3. Cool in ice water, then drain well.
4. Pack in airtight bags or containers with no extra air and freeze.

Why Does Broccoli Turn Yellow?

The green you see is chlorophyll, and once broccoli is harvested it slowly breaks down. The yellowing shows up first in the florets, the most perishable part. A few things speed it along:

• Warmth: this is the biggest factor. Broccoli kept cold stays green far longer than broccoli left on the counter or in a warm part of the store.
• Ethylene gas: broccoli is very sensitive to it. Ripening fruit like apples, bananas and pears gives it off, so store broccoli away from them.
• Age: it may have been harvested a bit past its prime, or it's simply been stored too long.

What to do about it: yellowing marks the end of broccoli's best quality. Extension guidance is to discard broccoli that is yellow, smells bad, or feels slimy. If you spot just a few faintly yellow beads and it otherwise looks, smells and feels fine, cook it right away instead of storing it longer.

How to slow it down: keep it cold, store it away from ripening fruit, and use it within a few days.

How to Cook Broccoli

Cut florets to a similar size so they cook evenly. Smaller pieces cook faster.

*Roasting and air fryer times are approximate ranges. Actual cooking time varies with your oven or air fryer model, wattage, basket or pan size, how much broccoli you're cooking, and how large the florets are. Treat these as starting points, and check your broccoli a few minutes before the lowest time listed, especially the first time you use a new appliance. Adjust the time and temperature to your equipment and your preferred level of browning.

Doneness: bright green and tender, with a little bite. Pull it when it's still firm, because it keeps cooking from residual heat.

Frozen broccoli is already blanched before it's frozen, so it needs very little cooking. On the stove, bring a few inches of water to a boil, add the florets, and drain right away. Don't thaw it before air frying or roasting.

Broccoli vs. Broccolini vs. Broccoli Rabe vs. Romanesco

These get mixed up constantly, and they are different vegetables.

Broccolini isn't baby broccoli, despite the nickname. Broccoli rabe should always be cooked, and a quick blanch before sautéing helps tame the bitterness.

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