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I get so grossed out by bugs, and wash my vegetables from the farmer's market super well. When it comes to broccoli, I do the immerse in water cleaning thing that I do for greens, spray it down with my sink hose - but I still can't these teeny tiny little black and grey bugs off. I
have gotten them in store bought and farmer's market broccoli, and this weekend in a big bunch of chinese broccoli. i tried to clean it and get them off but in the end, they were soooo many of them and I couldn't put it in my fridge.
What do I do? Is there a secret broccoli cleaning method?
I don't want to eat frozen broccoli but I might, because I am that grossed out each time. It's the only veggie I have this problem with.
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Try spraying them with vinegar or immersing them in a strong vinegar/water solution for a while. Maybe put a plate on top of them with a can on it so they stay submerged and then hopefully all the little buggies will float to the top.
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I had a major problem with broccoli this summer too. I found that spraying and soaking just didn't help, they were totally attached and I had to actually touch the bugs to get them to come off. I don't care if I have to touch a bug, but come on! Having to touch each tiny little bug spot so that it will move? It was so annoying, because there were SO MANY. I tried separating the little florets and washing those, but it took so long and used so much water. Eventually I gave up, so I would also like to know if there is a secret.
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saffron, does the vinegar taste stay?
anja - ugh, yes. I really thought buying the chinese broccoli would be my secret way to eat brococli again. heh.
Last edited by jdfunks (Mon 10/15/07 2:28 pm)
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I had a horrible experience with watercress the other day. I submerged the whole bunch in water and swished it around really well, then rinsed it under the faucet, and tossed them in a frying pan. Before I got too into the cooking, I saw a tiny slug in the pan! So I picked him out and tried to rinse them off again, and after a lengthy process, I found 3 more. I was so grossed out, I had to toss the cress.
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Saffronchef wrote:
Try spraying them with vinegar or immersing them in a strong vinegar/water solution for a while. Maybe put a plate on top of them with a can on it so they stay submerged and then hopefully all the little buggies will float to the top.
+1
We do this when we buy broccoli from the Hutterites.
The vinegar taste goes away if you rinse the broccoli with chilled water afterwards.
It is un-vegan to kill those little green caterpillar-like bugs that swarm my broccoli? I feel guilty for killing them in vinegar like that but I want to eat bug-free broccoli thank you very much!
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Yes the vinegar taste goes away. I clean everything with vinegar and love it. Neither the smell nor the taste will linger if you rinse. I have the same dilemna in my garden with bugs. I hate to squash caterpillars but I would have no garden if I didn't. I leave tomato horn worms alone because they're so neat and because usually they sort of prune for me and don't eat that much, but the little cabbage loopers (the green worms on cabbage, broccoli, kale, etc) will wipe out your whole garden in a matter of weeks. I try to get the brids to eat them by tossing them over near the bird bath when I can, which makes me feel a little better.
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um, I've never noticed broccoli bugs before. Now I'm really grossed out and will thouroughly inspect my broccoli.
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Heavily salted water works too though I haven't tried it with broccoli yet, just greens. I fill the sink and add about 1/3 cup salt. The little critters float right to the top and the good part is that they usually are still alive so I scoop them up with a plastic cup and toss them outside. Of course, they probably die once they hit the ground from our 2nd floor apartment but I try.
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Amber_ wrote:
catsgalore wrote:
um, I've never noticed broccoli bugs before. Now I'm really grossed out and will thouroughly inspect my broccoli.
+1
+2
I'm going to be paranoid about broccoli now. Thanks.
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loveliestundead wrote:
Amber_ wrote:
catsgalore wrote:
um, I've never noticed broccoli bugs before. Now I'm really grossed out and will thouroughly inspect my broccoli.
+1
+2
I'm going to be paranoid about broccoli now. Thanks.
+3
Now I'm afraid to eat broccoli. I wonder if the frozen stuff would be safer.
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one of the downsides of organic food..
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Amber_ wrote:
catsgalore wrote:
um, I've never noticed broccoli bugs before. Now I'm really grossed out and will thouroughly inspect my broccoli.
+1
honestly, at first glance, you could miss them, they're so tiny. I first thought they were specks of dirt and then I saw little legs. or eyes. or something completely gross.
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jdfunks wrote:
Amber_ wrote:
catsgalore wrote:
um, I've never noticed broccoli bugs before. Now I'm really grossed out and will thouroughly inspect my broccoli.
+1
honestly, at first glance, you could miss them, they're so tiny. I first thought they were specks of dirt and then I saw little legs. or eyes. or something completely gross.
ugh. i haven't ever noticed broccoli bugs either, but now i bet i will. legs. or eyes. blech.
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A few weeks ago I was eating some blanched broccoli and noticed a huge worm on the piece of broccoli I was about to eat. Now I'm really creeped out at the thought of eating broccoli. Ugh.
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primaryconsumer wrote:
A few weeks ago I was eating some blanched broccoli and noticed a huge worm on the piece of broccoli I was about to eat. Now I'm really creeped out at the thought of eating broccoli. Ugh.
I bet the worm wasn't very happy either...
I TOTALLY understand about bugs. Ewww. I usually toss the whole lot out rather than looking at or touching them. I'm sure they are quite attractive in their own bug world but sorry, I can't deal with em.
I once found a catapillar/slug looking thing on my greens while cleaning them. And another time a large spider crawled out of a bag of greens I just bought.
Now, I wear thick gloves when I clean leafy greens...
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katiejayne wrote:
jdfunks wrote:
Amber_ wrote:
+1honestly, at first glance, you could miss them, they're so tiny. I first thought they were specks of dirt and then I saw little legs. or eyes. or something completely gross.
ugh. i haven't ever noticed broccoli bugs either, but now i bet i will. legs. or eyes. blech.
or a little genitle, that was the worst.
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aren't the bugs bonus protein or b12 or something?
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i'm sooo glad i'm not the only one who has this problem with broccoli. the guy at the farmer's market said it's mostly a warm weather thing and that with the cooler fall weather it should go away. i've also had this problem with dinosaur kale. makes me paranoid and mad since broccoli and dinosaur kale are two of my favorite veggies.
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what? this has never ever happened to me before. like, ever. and broccoli is one of my usual buys.
but these days, i get (almost) all my produce from my CSA delivery, and they'd probably get a lot of complaints if they dropped off food with bugs in it.
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I am sticking to spinach.
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Just eat cookies instead.
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Ick! When I was a little kid, I had a bad experience with those bugs and cream of broccoli soup.
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