When Is Cauliflower in Season? Storage Methods and Benefits Explained
Cauliflower, scientifically known as cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), also called “foreign kale”, “cauliflower”, and “broccoli flower”, is eaten for its large flower buds and is one of the treasured vegetables. So when is cauliflower's normal season? How should it be stored? What benefits and effects does it have? Let's find out together.
When is cauliflower's normal season?
The main cultivation forms of cauliflower include autumn-winter cultivation, summer-autumn cultivation, spring cultivation, and high-mountain cultivation. Cauliflower from autumn-winter cultivation comes to market from New Year's Day to the Spring Festival, and this is the cultivation form with the largest area and the widest distribution in our province; summer-autumn cultivation uses early-maturing varieties, grown through shade seedling cultivation, and comes to market during the autumn slack season in September to October, fetching high prices and good returns; spring cultivation and high-mountain cultivation are cultivation forms newly developed in recent years. The interlinking of multiple cultivation forms has basically given cauliflower a year-round supply.
How should cauliflower be stored?
The best storage temperature for cauliflower is 0°C, where it can be stored for about 3-4 weeks, and the humidity should best be kept above 95%rh. When cauliflower is wrapped in cling film, it loses less water, but if the storage temperature is slightly high, black mold spots tend to form on the surface. Therefore, when storing at relatively high temperatures, not wrapping in cling film is better than wrapping in cling film. However, when storing at low temperatures, unwrapped cauliflower loses more water, and its storage quality is far worse than that of wrapped cauliflower.
What benefits and effects does cauliflower have?
1. Anti-cancer and cancer-preventing: Cauliflower contains trace elements with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, and long-term consumption can reduce the incidence of cancers such as breast cancer, rectal cancer, and stomach cancer. According to reports from the American Cancer Society, among the many vegetables and fruits, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage have the best anti-cancer effects.
2. Clearing blood vessels: Cauliflower is one of the foods richest in flavonoids, and flavonoids, besides preventing infection, are also the best blood vessel cleansers, able to prevent cholesterol oxidation and stop platelets from clumping together, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
3. Rich in vitamin K: Some people's skin bruises easily from a small bump or injury, and this is because the body lacks vitamin K. The best way to supplement it is to eat more cauliflower.
4. Liver detoxification: Eating more cauliflower also strengthens blood vessel walls, making them less likely to rupture. Its rich vitamin C content enables cauliflower to enhance the liver's detoxification ability and boost the body's immunity, and it can prevent colds and scurvy.
5. Vitamin C messenger: Cauliflower's vitamin C content is extremely high, which is not only beneficial for human growth and development, but more importantly can improve the body's immune function, promote liver detoxification, strengthen physical constitution, increase disease resistance, and enhance the body's immune function. It is especially effective in preventing and treating stomach cancer and breast cancer. Studies show that when suffering from stomach cancer, the level of selenium in human serum drops significantly, and the concentration of vitamin C in gastric juice is also notably lower than in normal people, while cauliflower not only supplements a certain amount of selenium and vitamin C, but also provides abundant carotene, which plays a role in preventing the formation of precancerous cells and inhibiting tumor growth.
Varieties of cauliflower
Cauliflower is divided into two types, white and green. In Beijing it is called “cauliflower”, but because it is easily confused with rapeseed flowers, it is more appropriate to call it cauliflower. Cauliflower is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, and has the effects of strengthening the kidneys and bones, nourishing the brain and marrow, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and clearing the lungs and moistening the throat. It is suitable for those with congenital and acquired deficiencies, chronic weakness and depletion, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, weak spleen and stomach, and cough with loss of voice. Green cauliflower also has a certain heat-clearing and detoxifying effect, and is even more suitable for those with spleen deficiency and stomach heat, bad breath, and thirst with restlessness.