On Sep 23, 10:50 am, Paul McNoob > wrote:
> I'm used to buying broccoli frozen and would like to buy it fresh but
> am a little wary.
>
> I've seen fresh broccoli where the tops look bluish, and I've seen
> where it looks green. Does the blue color/tint mean it's fresher or
> that it's going bad?
>
> I've seen the local markets have ice on top of the broccoli to keep it
> fresh during the day. Is this a good practice?
>
> Finally, how do you cook/prep fresh broccoli? Just boil it for a
> certain amount of time? My concern is just that the tops would get
> cooked quicker than the thicker stalks.
>
> Thanks!

I cut the outer part of the stems away, cut into 1 inch sections and
steam along with the crowns, about 13 minutes. THe resulting greenish
water you might even want to let cool and drink or add to stretch a
bit of leftover soup.

I store it in a green bag if I see a sale and am not in a rush to
serve it that night. I can't praise those bags enough.

Ice on top? My market justs mists the produce every so often - with a
chorus of "Singin in the Rain" for good measure.