In season: Purple Sprouting Broccoli

A brassica worth waiting for

Purple sprouting broccoli is a hardy crop that can withstand temperatures as low as -12°C. Much like Winter Tomatoes (one of our March In Season specials), 'stressing' the plants like this really improves their taste. The cold makes the plants produce anthocyanin pigments (which turns it purple), convert starches into sugars and produce thicker cellular walls.

All this cold winter weather gives PSB its mild, sweet taste and crunchiness. Farmers have found that picking the central spear early encourages side shoots to grow, meaning they’re more likely to have a long and abundant harvest. A purple sprouting broccoli plant can be harvested for up to eight weeks.

Simple spring serves

Delicately sweet and earthy, with an ever-so-slight tinge of bitterness, PSB pairs with lots of flavours. It also cooks quickly – steam or boil for 3 minutes, roast at 200°C for 10 - 12 minutes or char on a griddle for about 6 minutes. There are lots of ways you can serve it – with creamy ricotta, salty anchovies or crispy bacon and toasted walnuts.

The recipes section of our website has some cracking purple sprouting meals from light lunches to fish or pasta dishes for the evening. Why not check out the roast purple sprouting broccoli and ricotta from Esther Clark or James Walters' grilled cod with purple sprouting broccoli zhoug and tahini (zhoug is a Yemeni hot garlicky coriander sauce).

Purple sprouting broccoli facts you might not know

• PSP gets its colour from an anthocyanin, the same water-soluble pigment that gives the red, blue and purple colour to blueberries, tomatoes, red cabbage and grapes. The chemical is thought to protect the plants from the cold weather.
• Recipes for cooking sprouting broccoli (or something like it) are found in the Roman cookbook Apicius, where the author suggests cooking it with cumin, salt, vinegar and oil.
• President George H.W. Bush banned broccoli from Air Force One and all White House meals in March 1990, because he despised the vegetable after being forced to eat it as a child. Two and a half years later he lost the presidential election to Bill Clinton who claimed to love it.