Brussels Sprouts (Jade Cross)Juicing.

[daylilydude]

I love Brussels Sprouts, but I have not had the best of luck growing them, any pointers you care to share?

[Durgan]

Nov 8, 2011 6:26:58 GMT -5 daylilydude said:

I love Brussels Sprouts, but I have not had the best of luck growing them, any pointers you care to share?

I grew four Brussel's Spouts about five years ago as an experiment. They thrived. Nobody else grows them around here in the few gardens in existence. Brussels spouts are seldom seen at Farmer's Markets. Now I grow 12 plants each year.

Plant the seedlings when it is almost cold and the ground can be worked. It appears to me the plants must get a good start when the ground is cold. They do not like the roots being wet all the time. They appear to thrive in hot sun later. Water the roots periodically. It appears poor watering cause misshapen fruit. Put them in a separate area, since they are amongst the last items to be removed in the Fall. I have used the edge of a tulip bed. One year I grew almost perfect sprouts. Many people don't like them and they are sometimes impossible to give away, hence the juice.

Bugs- The white butterfly, cabbage moth, and possibly earwigs can be a pain, and disfigures the sprouts. I experiment with Diatomaceous earth, sprinkle salt, and wash off eggs with a hose with various degrees of success.

Incidentally, the juice appears to be most filling, and a glass is almost a meal, at first look.

[Durgan]

I removed the first post by mistake. Here it is again.
www.durgan.org/URL/?DRUXI 5 November 2011 Brussels Sprouts (Jade Cross)Juicing.

Twelve Brussels Sprouts (Jade Cross)are usually planted each year and often they are not used. This year juice was made out of some. A total weight of six pounds were processed. Some celery and parsley was added for flavour.

Method. Remove from stalk and cull,Place in a suitable pot,cover with water and boil gently until soft, then beat into a mash using a hand blender. Strain through the hand strainer. The residue from the hand strainer was put through my Champion juicer to extract maximum nutrients. The extracted juice was placed in litre jars and Pressure Canned at 12 PSI for 15 minutes for storage at room temperature.

The sprouts were not pristine this year due to my neglect in not watering at the appropriate time. July was droughty and I concentrated on higher priority plants with the watering. I have grown perfect large sprouts in the past. They grow well in my area.