Culture Your Broccoli – It’s Better

When I was growing up, my mom had a huge garden. She grew lots of broccoli and we would pick it for her. Even though broccoli is one of the plants least affected by pests, it is not uncommon to find worms on broccoli heads. Without a doubt, I was always the one to find those worms on my broccoli and often it was right before I put it in my mouth so I declared broccoli my least favorite vegetable. Many years later broccoli has redeemed itself and now is one of my favorites and my daughter Holli's as well. I have two recipes made with broccoli that I absolutely love. One is a cultured Broccoli Salad in a Jar that is heavenly. The grapes and raisins give it a sweetness that counters the tartness of culturing and I take the juice and place it in salad dressing to give it a zing!

My daughter Maci just gave me another recipe that you can make in a snap. It doesn't require that you ferment it first, but rather this recipe has a cultured topping to mix it all together. Here is why you should eat your broccoli.

Culture your Broccoli - It's Better

When you eat cultured broccoli, it's predigested and allows your body to receive more nutrients from your food. It also helps you digest the things you eat along with it. So, say you consume some proteins and some fats in your meal. Adding a spoonful of cultured veggies will help you digest those foods easier in addition to receiving more nutrients. The good bacteria do this as they help break down the food into nutrients you can use. Broccoli has twice the vitamin C of an orange and more calcium than milk. It has anti-cancer properties, is anti-inflammatory, and has detoxifying qualities as well. It can even help you detox from airborne carcinogens thanks to the phytonutrient sulforaphane. There are dozens of reasons to eat broccoli and I can think of no better way than in these two recipes, but just watch out for the worms!