Brussel sprouts on their stems. Are they worth the money?

Yuk I hate sprouts so would not be buying them.

I buy mine on stalks and it encouraged me to attempt to grow some last year. They were doing really well until one day I went out to find they had been absolutely ravaged by caterpillars. I was so disappointed. However, I did manage to get the top sprout off each stalk and added them to the shop bought one for Christmas dinner which made my husband last. Next year I am going to make sure I have plenty of caterpillar exterminator!

I also keep the stalks outside in a bucket of water. That way they are as good as fresh from the grower. Love them, certainly not only for Christmas but only in the winter!

I always eat a few raw ones when I'm preparing them for dinner.

1974cookie Yum!

As an experiment, I have just made a brussel sprout coleslaw!
I just thinly sliced a few brussels sprouts.
I added some thinly sliced onion, and some grated carrot in a bowl. I added some mayonnaise to taste, along with some black pepper.
Oh my word, it actually works !!
?.

1974cookie Have always loved raw sprouts. As a child it was the only way I would eat them, so there was always a small dish of raw ones on the table for me. To be fair there are a lot of veg that I like raw - peas, cauliflower and mushrooms amongst them.

Love sprouts and their tops - used to grow them when we were young but where has the full flavour gone (bred out?). I always string the stalks (upside down) in the garage and they keep fresh for ages.

Forgot to ask. Has anyone tried eating them raw?
I absolutely love them in their natural state. I just peel and munch like a little apple.
When I tell people how delicious they are, I usually get some funny looks. However: If you like raw cabbage then do try raw Brussel Sprouts. They are so sweet and nutty. ?

Have always bought sprouts on the stalk from the local farmer. Actually I'm having sprouts this evening wrapped in bacon and garlic and roasted in the oven....yummmmm..

I live in Lincolnshire where the lovely things are grown so we always have a sprout stick as soon as they are available, they are always best after a frost. We keep ours in a bit of water in a bucket outside the back door and they last for ages.

Sprouts are the most wonderful vegetable and we both love them. I try to buy them on the stalk because I think they are cheaper that way. As said previously you can have as few or as many as you like and save the rest for another meal. Haven't ever tried to grow them so can't offer any advice on that score but am in awe of those of you who do.

I just saw the stalks in Aldi they were 89p a bargain.

I always buy them when they're available, they last longer on the stem/stalk. I keep mine in a bucket of water (mustn't let the sprouts touch the water). I also keep them outside, keep a eye on water level, frost will be good for them, so lovely & sweet. Better than loose ones.

This reminds me of an elderly gentleman I got talking to on a bus a few years ago. He got on outside a supermarket and told me that he was having to do the shopping and cooking for himself as his wife had recently had to Be admitted to a nursing home due to ill health. It was shortly before Christmas and he said the only sprouts he could get were the ones on stalks so he would have to mess around and take them all off when he got home. I explained that they would keep better on the stalks and he was amazed and said you learn something new every day.

Seen in Bury St Edmunds market a few years ago a large sign offering ' Brussel sprouts on the stork ' !!! Wonder what they were like LOL

I am another who loves brussel tops! I used to grow them on an allotment we ran with my sister and brother in law and I used to trade her my share of the sprouts for the tops! I would also rather eat broccoli stems, raw or cooked, than the actual florettes. Maggie we once got lost driving through a pineapple plantation in Malaya. There were acres of them and that was the first time I realised they didn’t grow on trees!

I am not a great fan of sprouts but don't mind a few, OH loves them. I bought some of the new purple sprouts on the stem from Waitrose (on special offer) to try and everyone seemed to enjoy them. They lasted ages, much longer than the normal loose ones so I would definitely buy them again. They got served up in a variety of ways after Christmas so I won't be buying again for a while, OH was very appreciative though.

No Brussels sprouts shall come through my door, stem or no stem. I've a home-made poster in my kitchen which states, "Say no to Brussels" and has a picture of the offending things beneath. You may take this any way you wish.

My late mother showed my middle daughter (who was about 5 yrs old) a sprout stick and she SCREAMED AND SCREAMED the house down. She did the same thing another time when mum showed her a pea-pod and proceeded to pop it open. We laughed till we ached but it really was upsetting for her.
I like sprouts halved and added to a saute pan with very crispy lardons or pancetta, a knob of butter, s&p and half teaspoon nutmeg OR tear the leaves off individually and do likewise. I look on YouTube for inspiration.

Jalima if whitewave’s home grown sprouts are anything like mine, no you can just cut off the stalk and take it home as they are all a different stages of growth. Some nice and big others tiny. I’d love to know who the commercial growers get them all to mature at the same time.

All tips welcome.

I bought a sprout stalk with the top still on and remembered that these leaves were good to eat and so they were! And have just got back from a month in Spain. We ferried to North Spain and then drove right across the country. Best plus factor was that we could take things we couldn't take on a plane; including a big fat sprout stalk, which kept in the fridge until Christmas so we had fresh sprouts with our Christmas dinner. Was a bit miffed to discover sprouts for sale on the fruit and veg stalls in the local markets this year, as they haven't been in previous years, but ours were British!!

DH grows ours, so they're usually just a few minutes old when we cook them. But it's reassuring to know that some people didn't know they grew on stalks. Mumsnet had someone admit the other day that they were in their 30s and were embarrassed to have just found out that pineapples don't grow on trees. I'm twice her age and didn't know that either.

I hope the DH doesn't get to hear of this. He loves sprouts and the rest of us hate them. The only comfort I have with the Christmas sprouts is that they go off quickly and there is an end of them.

Do they cause less evil wind the longer they remain on the stem?