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Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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Posted by
nancyjane_gardener USDA 8ish No CA (
My Page) on
Mon, Oct 29, 12 at 21:37
I brought in the first of my broccholi, cleaned it (or so I thought), soaked it for awhile to get rid of any critters, only to find a little green wormy, hangin on the tip of the broc (think Horton hears a who), hangin on for life!
I ended up finding a few more while serving it up! LOL
Do you warn your family members that there may be some extra protein in their meal, or do you just clean them out and hope for the best???
BTW, does anyone know what the little green wormies are on my Broc????? Nancy |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| I don't mind the little green worms, just the 1/2 of little green worms! |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| LOLOL! More protein! LOL Nancy |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| If you don't want to use an insecticide like Bt which will enable ypu to have worm free broccoli, just soak the heads in brine for a few minutes. They will turn loose and float free. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Farmerdill is right. If there are lots of worms about, I treat plants with spinosad 10 days before I plan to harvest. Otherwise, the brine of which FD speaks is salt water (1 tablespoon per quart). Put it in a bowl with your cleaned broccoli pieces, hold them down with a plate, and in about 10 minutes all worms will become floaters. Never tell about the protein. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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- Posted by glib 5.5 (My Page) on
Tue, Oct 30, 12 at 20:07
| Let me mention also that humans have eaten insects for millions of years. There are some nutritionists who think chitin is a necessary nutrient, totally lacking in today's diet except for minute quantities in mushrooms. though I doubt you can get it from soft larvae, since it is what exoskeletons are made of. So just eat the whole enchilada, as some of us do. Without a doubt it is better to eat bugs than corn syrup. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| I'm not much of a salt person, but I'll give it a try! Thanks Nancy |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Nancy -- you soak in the salty water, and then *rinse* it (so your cooked broccoli doesn't taste salty) This method works pretty well, but sometimes leaves just enough worms to get your MDR of chitin. And they are imported cabbage worms -- when you see those white moths flying around, they are laying yellow eggs, which then turn into the worms, then hatch into the moths, then they fly around . . . you get the picture. Kittens can be excellent deterrents (they like to catch the moths) |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| nancyjane: a vinegar and water solution can be used in lieu of the saltwater. Kevin |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Back to the original question of do you tell them, I follow a don't ask/don't tell policy... Also I try not to know myself. Salt water rinse is very good, though. There's a lot less to not tell. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| When this happened to me last year, I never said a word. I just fished them out of the blanching water & pitched them. When I was getting ready to make stir fry I did soak it in water (no salt) and got a bunch out that way. But there were a couple that held on tight & didn't come out till they hit the pan. Did the same thing -- fished them out. I just hoped no one noticed me carefully checking out my bites of stir fry before putting it in my mouth, lol. You folks are the only one's I have confessed to! |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| I can tell you, we have probably eaten more aphids than I really care to think about. If serving guests, I try to be more conscientous but if my family were to find one, I figure it just gives the kids a story to tell. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| FYI food from the store has bugs in it too whether you see it or not. The FDA has "Defect" levels that cause no harm to humans or in less politically correct terms, bug allowances. Which for frozen broccoli is "Average of 60 or more aphids and/or thrips and/or mites per 100 grams" Do people talk about that, no because no one wants to think about it but it is something we all live with. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Tiny slugs in lettuce, very pervasive in wet springtimes, are very hard to get out. So I've had to get used to the slightly nutty flavor of tiny slugs. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Is it fair to assume that if you've treated with spinsosad and see no more white butterflies (too cold) that you should then be free of the worms? I guess there could be some unhatched eggs when the spinodsad is sprayed and that raises abother question--how long from egg to worm? |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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Spinsosad? Isn't that a neo-nicotinoid? Like bee colony-collapse disorder...poison? This is what I found....
"The spinosyns and spinosoids have a novel mode of action, primarily targeting binding sites on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of the insect nervous system that are distinct from those at which other insecticides have their activity." |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Um, I think I'll stick to the brining! Nancy |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Orgogal: Since bees don't hang around non-flowering plants, I consider it safe to use around veggies brassicas. Not to say that brassicas DON'T flower, but by that time, the plant is past it's prime. Kevin |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| I thought Bt was the poison of choice for imported cabbage worms. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| Elisa: It is. Though I tried spinosad this year and it's pretty effective also. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| If they see one of the "little green wormies" as you call then. I just tell them the worms eat the broccoli therefore they taste like broccoli.Just eat them!I use the heavy salt water in a 5 gallon bucket to wash the broccoli first then I was it again in the house before cooking or freezing. |
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| I just brought in my last two heads of cauliflower and laid them on the stove to clean later. I admit I didn't look very well but... 
No bugs or worms though. :) |
RE: Do you tell them about the
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| No cabbage worms can survive where lizards are present. Incredible how a food that sustained us for tens of thousands of years, with nutrient value far above and environmental impact far below beef, gets so disparaged. Note the values of the key nutrient iron in the attached link, obtained with virtually no land use and 1/10 the feed necessary to obtain the same amount of beef. |
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.ent.iastate.edu/misc/insectnutrition.html
RE: Do you tell them about the "extra protein"?
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| I do have lizards in the summer. That's not when I'm finding the worms! Nancy |
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