Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable. These are vegetables that in a family called Brassicas. You are probably familiar with other vegetables in that family including cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale.
These cruciferous veggies are rich in nutrients including several carotenoids such as beta-carotene, vitamins (C, E and K), folate, minerals and they are a good source of vitamins. They make a great addition to a healthy diet and there’s even evidence that they can help reduce your cancer risk.
Along with all of these good things cruciferous vegetables are also known for a substance that gives them a strong smell due to sulfur containing chemical compounds. This often leaves people questioning if their vegetables have gone bad.
Cauliflower heads are white in color. While they are being grown the outer leaves are loosely tied over the head. This keeps the cauliflower from turning yellow after being exposed to light.
You can now find cauliflower in a range of colors from white to purple to yellow and even green. The different colors are caused by different levels of phytonutrients in them.
Purple cauliflower has more anthocyanin which is a phytonutrient that gives other fruits and vegetables a red, blue or purple color.
Orange cauliflower has more beta carotene. The same phytonutrient that makes carrots orange.
Green cauliflower is actually a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. You can find it being sold as broccoflower.
So what’s the color of cauliflower got to do with figuring out if your cauliflower, or your cauliflower rice, has gone bad? Well sometimes color isn’t the indicator that it’s bad.
How long does cauliflower keep in the fridge?
According to the Institute Agriculture and Natural Resources the shelf life of raw cauliflower depends on the temperature it is being stored at:
Cauliflower, stored in the refrigerator at 40 degrees F or less, can be stored safely for 3 to 5 days.
Cauliflower, stored in the freezer at 0 degrees F or lower, can be safely frozen for 10 to 12 months.
Precut florets can be safely stored for 4 days in the refrigerator.
It’s best to not store cauliflower at room temperature except for short periods of time (during meal prep, when displayed for a dish such as fresh vegetables to be eaten with dip, etc).
Once you bring home your cauliflower home from the grocery store or you have made your own cauliflower rice it’s best to store the cauliflower in a plastic bag or, for florets, in an airtight container, sealed container or a plastic storage bag in the refrigerator.
Is cauliflower with green stalks OK to eat?
Yes! Cauliflower stems (and leaves) are totally edible. They can be added to soup or used in other meals. The stem can be a bit tough. Try using a vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer before using them to make them easier to soften up when cooking.
Is yellow cauliflower OK to eat?
Yes it is. White cauliflower heads only get that way by keeping sunlight away from the head. The leaves around the plant are gathered and loosely tied over the head while it is growing. This keeps the head from being exposed to the sun and turning yellow. This is because sun exposure allows the plant to make certain phytonutrients which cause the yellow color.
Sometimes you will see spots of yellow on a white head. That just means that this part of the head was exposed to sunlight while growing. The cauliflower is perfectly safe to eat.
Why did my cauliflower change colors while cooking?
Cauliflower may turn yellow in alkaline water. The chemical compounds in cauliflower will react with the aluminum and turn it yellow. It’s still safe to eat.
Is it safe to eat cauliflower with brown spots?
While yellow, purple/pink and green cauliflower are safe to eat you want to pay close attention to cauliflower that has brown spots on it.
If you see brown or dark spots on whole heads of cauliflower or on cut cauliflower florets than the likely culprit is mold. This can begin as small spots that soon begin to spread. Sometimes these spots can even look a little fuzzy.
If the mold is in a small area (surface mold) you can cut that section of the cauliflower off and the rest of the head will be safe to eat. If the mold spots are wide spread then it is a good idea to just discard the head of cauliflower.
How to tell if cauliflower is bad:
Sure signs of spoiled cauliflower include:
- Bad smell – while the sulfur compounds in cauliflower gives cauliflower it’s distinctive smell if your cauliflower should smell sour or has an unpleasant odor then it has gone bad.
- Texture of the cauliflower – usually cauliflower head or florets are firm to touch. If it has turned soft, rubbery or has become slimy then it has gone bad. Cooked cauliflower which is already soft will become slimy.
- Black spots – small areas with mold can be removed. Cauliflower with wide spread signs of mold should be discarded.
These signs of decay will be the same with raw cauliflower rice or cooked riced cauliflower. If the smell is bad/sour, the texture is slimy or there’s brown/black spots then toss it out.
After reading this you should be more knowledgeable in determining when your cauliflower is safe to eat, how to store it to keep it safe and when its gone bad and should be thrown out.
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Find out more about how to make your own fresh cauliflower rice. It’s easy to do. You can use a food processor, a box grater or even a sharp knife.
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