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Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,999
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

I love broccoli - always eaten a lot of it.  Then a friend recently told me of all the worms and the like that can be in broccoli and I am at a 'full stop' from  enjoying the vegetable anymore.  I've always washed my broccoli but after that visual of the worms, I don't think I could ever wash broccoli '''ENOUGH''' again.   Any thoughts friends??

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,293
Registered: ‎08-14-2013

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

I love broccoli and hate that I opened this thread. Smiley Embarassed

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,767
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

I think your friend is pulling your leg

♥Surface of the Sun♥
Frequent Contributor
Posts: 134
Registered: ‎01-31-2017

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

We raised broccoli in our garden one year.  A friend told me about the little worms, said to soak broccoli in water before cooking or adding raw to salads, etc.  I soaked it in water, and little white worms were floating in the water in a few minutes.  Icky.

I've never wanted to raise broccoli again, but I still eat it from other sources.  

How would you ever know if all the little worms came out before eating it????

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,999
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

@wishmoon    I'm so sorry , pretty upsetting isn't it?  Surely there has to be 'a way' to eat broccoli that assures us that it's ''clean enough''....Wishmoon, I googled it and if you think this post is bad, you REALLY DON'T WANT TO SEE WHAT CAN BE IN BROCCOLI... I'll probably never forget that sight !

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,749
Registered: ‎03-15-2014

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

Yes, if you're a vegetarian, you may want to avoid broccoli.  Smiley Happy

 

I suppose this is more of a problem with organic produce, as non-organic farmers have ways to deal with cabbage worms (actually, larvae of cabbage butterflies).

 

They say you should soak broccoli heads in cold water for 20 minutes, with 1/4 C salt and 2 T of vinegar.  Hold the head under water with a weight, like a plate.  This will force the worms out.  (And then they'll be in your sink, not your food...)

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,999
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

@Wendy Lou Hoo ...Very good question--and I surely don't have the answer....pretty bummed about all of this.  I've always heard that broccoli was a great cancer preventer....hummm...off my grocery list now.

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Valued Contributor
Posts: 860
Registered: ‎10-05-2012

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

I read an article on Huffington Post the other day indicating that all vegetables should be washed in a mixture of baking soda and water - then rinsed. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,809
Registered: ‎12-24-2010

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

Now I'm glad I forgot to pick up "B" - I just came home from food shopping - almost finished and realized I forgot fresh broccoli - closer to frozen foods so picked up pkg for a casserole I want to make.  WHEW

Yes.....worms - once while washing a head = a little worm poked it's head out.  I didn't buy fresh for a long time.  With frozen at least they are dead!

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,396
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Broccoli ''cleaning'' ???

I just saw a video on washing veggies and fruit. Strawberries is another one that needs to be washed differently than most people do because of all the little pits in the berries.

 

They showed soaking broccoli and strawberries in 2 large bowls of water, letting them sit for 15 minutes. When they took them out of the water to run them under more faucet water, they focused back on the bowl and in the bottom of the soaking water there was tons of dirt, little bugs (no see um type).

 

It was pretty unbelievable how dirty it was. I was grossed out, and clearly I have to change my way of washing things. But I am not going to stop eating anything, because we probably should have been washing things this way for many, many years.

 

There are many people suffering with parasite issues of the gut and I always wondered how they got the parasites ti begin with. Now I know.

 

I can only imagine how many bugs and yucks I have eaten my whole life growing up on a food farm. I think the world is just becoming so aware of it.