Basics
| When to sow | 2-4 weeks before last frost |
| maturity | 70 days |
| Germination rate | medium |
| Origin | Asia |
| Scientific Name | Brassica oleracea |
| Sprouts in | 5-10 days- 20 Days |
Name & History
Cauliflower was discovered somewhere between Cyprus island and upper arabic countries around middle Age. From there it travelled to the rest of Western Europe and Asia at 17th century and at last reached America at early 1900s. Its ancestor, the Orange Cauliflower, was firstly detected in a field at late 1900s, and from there specialist growers and breeders came to some of the most popular today’s cauliflowers such as the Clementine Orange and some more.
Description
The vivid pigment is the result of a gene mutation and an abundance of the flavonoid anthocyanin. Purple cauliflower has a mild, sweet, and nutty flavor well suited to a wide array of culinary applications. When you cook the cauliflower, the purple tinge turns gray, mainly when the cooking water is hard or has an alkaline pH. Depending on the variety, if Purple cauliflower is heavily steamed or boiled, it will lose its coloring and develop a slight green tinge, but the florets are still edible and retain a neutral flavor. A splash of lemon juice or vinegar can also assist in keeping the purple hues.
Culinary uses
Most chefs use it to create monochromatic dishes with other vegetables of the same pallet like , carrots , eggplants , and more. But you can also use it more traditionally in your soups, salads, etc. They can also be cut into smaller pieces and stir-fried in place of rice, pressed together to make healthy pizza crust, or pureed into sauces. Purple Cauliflower pairs well with herbs such as parsley, thyme, and mint, legumes, nuts such as pepitas, peanuts, and pine nuts, green beans, peas, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, and fruits such as coconut, blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, and plums.
