Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

I'm wondering if their size/maturity accounts for bad
taste. Shelagh might know if US sprouts are very
different sizes from UK ones.

Janet UK

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On 1/7/2024 6:17 AM, Janet wrote:

Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

It depends on what is available at the supermarket. I tend to look for smaller, presumeably younger, brussels sprouts. Perhaps 1 inch (2.5 cm)
at most.

Sometimes the packaging is deceiving. If they are sold in a small
cardboard carton with nice smaller sprouts on top there may be larger
mature older ones (unseen) on the bottom. I don't know about other
shops in the USA but here they are not generally sold "loose" so you can
pick and choose. I've never seen them offered still on the stalk,
either. The ones I bought recently were in a mesh bag so I was able to
see what I was buying. They were smallish.

I'm wondering if their size/maturity accounts for bad
taste. Shelagh might know if US sprouts are very
different sizes from UK ones.

Janet UK

Quite possibly the larger, older sprouts account for the bitter taste.
Then again, some people simply don't like brussels sprouts. :)

Jill

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On 2024-01-07 9:13 a.m., jmcquown wrote:

On 1/7/2024 6:17 AM, Janet wrote:

    Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

It depends on what is available at the supermarket.  I tend to look for smaller, presumeably younger, brussels sprouts.  Perhaps 1 inch (2.5 cm)
at most.

Sometimes the packaging is deceiving.  If they are sold in a small
cardboard carton with nice smaller sprouts on top there may be larger
mature older ones (unseen) on the bottom.  I don't know about other
shops in the USA but here they are not generally sold "loose" so you can
pick and choose.

Packaging??? I have never seen Brussels sprouts prepackaged. They are
always sold loose. Occasionally they are sold on the stalks.

Quite possibly the larger, older sprouts account for the bitter taste.
Then again, some people simply don't like brussels sprouts. :)

I can't say that I have noticed a big difference in the taste of the big
ones versus the small ones. We always strip off the lower outside
leaves. Where I notice the taste difference is the cooking time. They
turn nasty when they are cooked too long.

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On 2024-01-07, Dave Smith <adavid.smith@sympatico.ca> wrote:

On 2024-01-07 9:13 a.m., jmcquown wrote:

On 1/7/2024 6:17 AM, Janet wrote:

    Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

It depends on what is available at the supermarket.  I tend to look for
smaller, presumeably younger, brussels sprouts.  Perhaps 1 inch (2.5 cm)
at most.

Sometimes the packaging is deceiving.  If they are sold in a small
cardboard carton with nice smaller sprouts on top there may be larger
mature older ones (unseen) on the bottom.  I don't know about other
shops in the USA but here they are not generally sold "loose" so you can
pick and choose.

Packaging??? I have never seen Brussels sprouts prepackaged. They are always sold loose. Occasionally they are sold on the stalks.

In the U.S., nearly everything is packaged. It's more profitable
to make people buy a package of something than just one or two of them.

That said, I was surprised to see that a local grocery store had flats
of individual eggs: 45 cents each, IIRC.

--
Cindy Hamilton

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Janet wrote:

Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

seems to me that they are about 4-6cm.

I'm wondering if their size/maturity accounts for bad
taste. Shelagh might know if US sprouts are very
different sizes from UK ones.

flavor depends upon growing conditions, which vary...
and then of course how they've been treated during and
after harvest.


songbird

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On 1/7/2024 9:49 AM, Dave Smith wrote:

On 2024-01-07 9:13 a.m., jmcquown wrote:

On 1/7/2024 6:17 AM, Janet wrote:

    Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

It depends on what is available at the supermarket.  I tend to look
for smaller, presumeably younger, brussels sprouts.  Perhaps 1 inch
(2.5 cm) at most.

Sometimes the packaging is deceiving.  If they are sold in a small
cardboard carton with nice smaller sprouts on top there may be larger
mature older ones (unseen) on the bottom.  I don't know about other
shops in the USA but here they are not generally sold "loose" so you
can pick and choose.

Packaging???  I have never seen Brussels sprouts prepackaged.  They are always sold loose. Occasionally they are sold on the stalks.

As I already stated, I've never seen them sold "loose" or on the stalks.
The ones I bought were in a mesh bag so I was able to see the size of
the sprouts. In years past I have seen them packaged in small cardboard containers so you can't see the size of the sprouts at the bottom. Not
for a long while, though.

Quite possibly the larger, older sprouts account for the bitter taste.
Then again, some people simply don't like brussels sprouts. :)

I can't say that I have noticed a big difference in the taste of the big
ones versus the small ones. We always strip off the lower outside
leaves. Where I notice the taste difference is the cooking time.  They
turn nasty when they are cooked too long.

Here we go again. I think we agree, don't over cook them and definitely
don't boil them to death.

Jill

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On 07/01/2024 11:17, Janet wrote:

Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

I'm wondering if their size/maturity accounts for bad
taste. Shelagh might know if US sprouts are very
different sizes from UK ones.

In my experience, it varies greatly.
I've seen enormous ones and I've seen pretty little ones, packaged,
bagged, loose, and on the stalk.
When we grew them ourselves, I always picked them _very_ small, and not
until just before cooking them.

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On 2024-01-07, Janet wrote:

Just curious, how big are the brussels sprouts in USA?

I'm sure close to those here in Quebec; the same
supply chains apply to the major distributors.

I estimate a diameter 2 to 3 cm.

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On 2024-01-07 10:20 a.m., jmcquown wrote:

On 1/7/2024 9:49 AM, Dave Smith wrote:

Sometimes the packaging is deceiving.  If they are sold in a small
cardboard carton with nice smaller sprouts on top there may be larger
mature older ones (unseen) on the bottom.  I don't know about other
shops in the USA but here they are not generally sold "loose" so you
can pick and choose.

Packaging???  I have never seen Brussels sprouts prepackaged.  They
are always sold loose. Occasionally they are sold on the stalks.

As I already stated, I've never seen them sold "loose" or on the stalks.

I know what you already stated. I just said that I have never seen them packaged. They are always in a bin, and occasionally on the stalk. I
suppose some people might be sucked into believing they are fresher if
they are in the stalk but I am guessing they will sell more because
people will take the whole stalk and that would be more than they would
have bought in a package or in bulk. It also eliminated the issue of
people picking through and taking only the small ones.

 The ones I bought were in a mesh bag so I was able to see the size of
the sprouts.  In years past I have seen them packaged in small cardboard containers so you can't see the size of the sprouts at the bottom.  Not
for a long while, though.

I can't say that I have noticed a big difference in the taste of the
big ones versus the small ones. We always strip off the lower outside
leaves. Where I notice the taste difference is the cooking time.  They
turn nasty when they are cooked too long.

Here we go again.  I think we agree, don't over cook them and definitely don't boil them to death.

I don't know where we are going again. Yes, they are spoiled when
overcooked, but I was trying to suggest... awkwardly... was that maybe
it is the varied cooking time more than the size.
Sitting here writing about this I can't help but recall the taste of the overcooked BSs and how nasty it can be compared to one that is cooked
properly.

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On 2024-01-07, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net <itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net> wrote:

At the Kroger I shop at, and I think I've seen them packaged the same
way at Walmart, the fresh ones are sold in a clear plastic bag. Just a
quick glance of them they all appeared to be rather small. Brussel
sprouts slaw is also offered this way and if that doesn't appeal to you broccoli slaw is also offered shredded.

At Raley's, the store I shop at, brussel sprouts are in a bin for pick
and choose. During the holidays, they're also sold on the stalk. I've
never bought those.

leo

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On 1/7/2024 12:22 PM, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:

On 2024-01-07, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net <itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net> wrote:

At the Kroger I shop at, and I think I've seen them packaged the same
way at Walmart, the fresh ones are sold in a clear plastic bag. Just a
quick glance of them they all appeared to be rather small. Brussel
sprouts slaw is also offered this way and if that doesn't appeal to you
broccoli slaw is also offered shredded.

At Raley's, the store I shop at, brussel sprouts are in a bin for pick
and choose. During the holidays, they're also sold on the stalk. I've
never bought those.

leo

I've never seen them sold on the stalk. If they are priced per weight
you know you'd be paying more because of the added weight of the stalk.

Jill

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On 1/7/2024 1:14 PM, Dave Smith wrote:

On 2024-01-07 10:20 a.m., jmcquown wrote:

On 1/7/2024 9:49 AM, Dave Smith wrote:

Here we go again.  I think we agree, don't over cook them and
definitely don't boil them to death.

I don't know where we are going again. Yes, they are spoiled when overcooked,  but I was trying to suggest... awkwardly... was that maybe
it is the varied cooking time more than the size.
Sitting here writing about this I can't help but recall the taste of the overcooked BSs and how nasty it can be compared to one that is cooked properly.

My mother, bless her, used to buy frozen Green Giant brand "brussels
sprouts in butter sauce". They came in a cryovac cooking bag to be
heated in boiling water on the stovetop. They were already overcooked,
of course; those things always tasted nasty and bitter.

Jill

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On 2024-01-08, jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:

I've never seen them sold on the stalk. If they are priced per weight
you know you'd be paying more because of the added weight of the stalk.

That was my assessment too. Are the stalks edible? I suppose I could
look it up but why bother?

leo

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On 2024-01-08, jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:

On 1/7/2024 12:22 PM, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:

On 2024-01-07, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net <itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net> wrote: >>

At the Kroger I shop at, and I think I've seen them packaged the same
way at Walmart, the fresh ones are sold in a clear plastic bag. Just a
quick glance of them they all appeared to be rather small. Brussel
sprouts slaw is also offered this way and if that doesn't appeal to you
broccoli slaw is also offered shredded.

At Raley's, the store I shop at, brussel sprouts are in a bin for pick
and choose. During the holidays, they're also sold on the stalk. I've
never bought those.

leo

I've never seen them sold on the stalk. If they are priced per weight
you know you'd be paying more because of the added weight of the stalk.

Unless they charge less per pound, to account for the stalk. In any
event, the stalk is edible, just like broccoli stems.

Looks like they're an "each" at Kroger. $8.99 per stalk.

They're in stock at a different location of my regular grocery for
$4.99/stalk. No knowing whether the stalk sizes are comparable.

Doesn't matter. I never want more than a single serving, so I
buy 'em already roasted at the Whole Paycheck deli.

--
Cindy Hamilton

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