What is Cauliflower
Cauliflower is the edible flower of the herbaceous plant Brassica oleracea L., botrytis variety, belonging to the C rucifera family. On the Italian peninsula different varieties of cauliflower (early and late) are cultivated which determine the diversification and the respective vulgar nomenclature; the main ones are:
Grow cauliflower
Cauliflower is a vegetable that needs a good care in cultivation; the soil must be rich (but without exceeding), therefore (in the crop rotation) this variety of Brassica oleracea should always be cultivated first. Cauliflower requires ample space for separation between the plants in order to allow the development of the leaf mass, which is why an abundant irrigation must not be lacking. The omnipresent fertilizer for cauliflower is organic, composed, even with manure, manure or bone-meal-blood-horns; in addition, in the growth phase, the use of nettle macerate or rock dust may be convenient. NB : consociation with celery seems favorable.
The early varieties of cauliflower need sowing in greenhouses in March, while late ones in outdoor flowerbeds in the period between April and May; the transplant occurs at a distance of one month or 45 days (the suitable distance for the cultivation of cauliflower is about 50X50cm). NB : it is essential to remember that to obtain a pure white cauliflower it is necessary to tie the outer leaves on the flower or fold some over them. The cauliflower is harvested at the same time as ripening, but taking care that the flowers are well closed; for the precocious varieties it probably occurs between the end of July and the beginning of August, while for the late cauliflower it arrives until the end of October.
Cauliflower in the kitchen
Cauliflower is a vegetable to be eaten fresh for many months a year (also thanks to the different varieties); furthermore, by cultivating and distributing their consumption, it is possible to preserve it by deep-freezing (cooked or raw), in oil or vinegar.
To fully enjoy the vitamin-saline content of cauliflower, this should be consumed mainly raw; in fact, by cooking it (boiling or boiling), the thermolabile vitamins and a part of the mineral salts are destroyed or dispersed in the liquid (except for steam cooking and / or in a pressure cooker). It is also worth noting that, based on the Italian cultural trend, the consumption of raw cauliflower is at least unusual; NOT so much for any contraindications or unwanted effects, but for a mere "matter of taste". For their part, the followers of "raw food" and vegans in general, a little by choice, a little to increase the variety of edible preparations, make it a fairly frequent use making greater use of all the beneficial properties ... but even those anti-nutritional. If on the one hand, eating raw cauliflower it is possible to absorb a greater quantity of vitamins, on the other it is still subjected to a greater concentration of chelating molecules (which bind mineral salts and reduce their absorption); not only this, observing the table below shows that the cooking of cauliflower increases its edible portion, reduces that of water and promotes the concentration of available carbohydrates and proteins up to double them. In practice, by cooking the cauliflower this acquires a better digestibility and a greater energy intake.
Wanting to be meticulous, let's remember that cauliflower is included in the list of foods that, raw, alter (to a difficultly quantifiable extent) iodine metabolism interfering "hypothetically" with thyroid homeostasis. However, this information is relatively reliable and therefore to be taken "with pliers", even if (for my part) they are a sufficient starting point to determine a sporadic consumption of RAW cauliflower. NB : it seems that cooking inactivates almost completely the interaction between cauliflower (and also of the other analogues) and thyroid metabolism.
Cauliflower mayonnaise without eggs
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeNutritional characteristics
Cauliflower is a vegetable belonging to the VII group of foods as it contains a good amount of vit. C ( ascorbic acid ); in parallel, it could be classified among the foods of the VI group, as there is no lack of carotenoids ( pro-vitamin A ). Thanks to the remarkable content of antioxidants (including the aforementioned molecules, sulforaphane, chlorophyll, etc.) raw cauliflower is a food with anti-aging and anti-tumor characteristics.
As far as mineral salts are concerned, cauliflower contains good amounts of potassium.
The cauliflower provides an excellent dietary fiber ration, a satiating component, preventive and therapeutic towards constipation, modulating the glycemic index, prebiotic and cholesterol-lowering. Similarly to the other Brassica oleracea, even the cooked and blended cauliflower (to compose a soup brodosa) can be used in the purification and restoration of intestinal and liver function following periods of poor diet.
Cauliflower is NOT a particularly energetic food and can be used as a substitute for most vegetables or vegetables. It contains few proteins (with a low biological value), few fats (mainly unsaturated) and few carbohydrates (simple and complex).
Alas, cauliflower is rich in purines, which is why it is excluded from the preventive diet of hyperuricemia and gout.
Cauliflower is a vegetable and, as such, is potentially exposed to nitrate contamination; it is advisable to rinse it thoroughly, NOT to ever consume it DIRTY (not even from self-cultivation) and to vary its use with other products of the same category.
Nutritional composition of Cauliflower - reference values of the Food Composition Tables - INRAN
| Comparison Cauliflower, raw and Cauliflower, boiled | |||
| Chemical composition and energy value of foods per 100g of edible portion | Cauliflower, raw | Cauliflower, boiled | |
| Edible part | 66.0% | 100.0% | |
| water | 90, 5g | 84, 2g | |
| Protein | 3, 2g | 5, 3g | |
| Lipids TOT | 0.2g | 0.3g | |
| B.C. saturated fats | - g | - g | |
| B.C. monounsaturated fats | - g | - g | |
| B.C. polyunsaturated fats | - g | - g | |
| Cholesterol | 0, 0mg | 0, 0mg | |
| TOT Carbohydrates | 2, 7g | 4, 4g | |
| Starch / Glycogen | 0.3g | 0.5g | |
| Soluble sugars | 2.4 g | 3, 9g | |
| Dietary fiber | 2.4 g | 2.4 g | |
| Power | 25, 0kcal | 40, 0kcal | |
| Sodium | 8, 0mg | - mg | |
| Potassium | 350, 0mg | - mg | |
| Iron | 0, 8mg | - mg | |
| Football | 44, 0mg | - mg | |
| Phosphorus | 69, 0mg | - mg | |
| Thiamine | 0, 10mg | - mg | |
| Riboflavin | 0, 10mg | - mg | |
| Niacin | 1.2mg | - mg | |
| Vitamin A | 50, 0μg | 60, 0μg | |
| C vitamin | 59, 0mg | 28, 0mg | |
| Vitamin E | - mg | - mg | |
