No sprouts!

The little frozen (not dozen) button sprouts I buy are delicious (if you like sprouts that is) but we like them quite firm and still with a bit of bite to them . Nothing worse than mushy sprouts . Even more delicious stir fried in the wok with a few chopped chestnuts.

I use frozen and usually just give them 3 or 4 minutes in the microwave. I like them to still crunch! I just microwave for one minute if I am going to stir fry. They are frozen so soon after picking they are fresher than fresh but need less cooking due to extra water content.
(So on mine don't go on until late November ?)

Yes there are tinned sprouts here in France also sprout soup, I love sprouts but think the soup may be a step too far.
Esspee - ban sprouts, your days are numbered the SPCS will be hot on your trail

The ones I roasted weren't frozen - I'm not sure that would work - would it?

I didn't need to parboil the sprouts as they went in the oven with pork, potatoes and honey roasted carrots so I would have used an extra pan and more fuel. The prep was fiddly though.

I buy Sainsbury's frozen sprouts and they are not mushy so long as you time them carefully.

I've heard that frozen sprouts are mushy and tasteless. Can someone tell me I'm wrong ?
Any particular brand you'd recommend please.

annsixty yours will be much too hard, I put mine on at the end of August.

We love sprouts and the DGC count how many each if them have on their plates (it has to be even or there's trouble) . I recently discovered dozen button sprouts and they are equally as delicious as fresh ones as long as you don't over cook them.

A lot of County farms have been sold off but some County Councils still own and rent them to tenant farmers.
Good to know that Staffordshire is still continuing with this.

Sounds delish Kitty. Personally I would par-boil them for a few minutes first to cut done roasting time.

As for those who will pick them - I am really not sure that will be the case. Foreign pickers do not feel very welcome at the moment, but mainly, now the £ is so low and possibly getting even lower, their wage which is mostly sent back home to help families, or saved to buy or built a small family home on their return - is becoming lower and just not worth the sacrifice of being away from home and family.

Some of the unemployed in East Anglia might be persuaded to work in the fields if wages go up significantly - but there will be a knock on effect.

Victoria Wood would have been very disappointed in me I know.

Slacking, Ann!!

At a very good carvery a couple of weeks ago the chap carving the meat recommended blanching the sprouts and then cooking them in cream with a dash of white wine vinegar and lots of black pepper as in creamed leeks. I haven't tried it yet but I will as I didn't put them to on boil in October.

No, Anya just tossed with chopped bacon, olive oil and s and p. they were tiny and I did them for about 40 minutes which was a touch too long I think. They needed schoosching quite often but ended up very sweet.

Neither did I DJ until tonight.

Do you parboil them first Kitty?

Grew up on an arable farm owned by a motor manufacturer. Sadly it's not there now.

Ana D'aucy do the best tinned sprouts, i used to buy them all the time in Holland.

There was just something about it countryfile, dj.

I've just roasted baby sprouts with bacon - they were delicious!

Thanks, Anya. Didn't realise that.

There are over 3000 council farms in England DJ they are farmed by tenant farmers. Smaller usually than estate farms.

We bought a sprout stick from the local farm shop last week. There hasn't been a sharp frost yet so the sprouts weren't quite as good although obviously fresh.

Do councils own farming land?
Lots of allotments round here with sprouts growing quite well. I need to take my grandson round the allotments next week to see if there are any being given away.

Not that there'll be many to pick with councils selling off farming land.

Exactly Kitty