Bacon & Parmesan Brussels Sprout Skewers - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why can't some people eat brussel sprouts? ›

"People with certain genetic variants in the TAS2R38 gene can detect bitter taste more than others and therefore may be more likely to dislike sprouts,” 23andMe senior product scientist Alisa Lehman recently told the Daily Record. "There are many factors outside genetics that play a part in the foods we like.

No matter how you're going to cook your Brussels sprouts, you'll want to trim them first. At the base of each sprout is the spot where it was originally connected to the plant. Unless you've just cut the sprouts off the stalk yourself, this area will have become dry and browned during storage.

Over the last twenty years, farmers have mellowed the "unpleasant" flavor of brussels sprouts by breeding a vegetable that contains fewer bitter compounds or glucosinolates. So, brussels sprouts just taste better than they used to when we were kids. The rub is that glucosinolates help protect sprouts against pests.

Therefore, those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be found to be suffering painfully from consuming Brussels sprouts due to aggravated symptoms of gas and bloating.

Eating a lot of Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous veggies may help protect against cancers of the stomach, lungs, kidney, breast, bladder, and prostate. Crunchy veggies like Brussels sprouts may also help you stave off other health issues, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes.

Sprouts on the stalk will stay fresher longer than sprouts that have been picked off and sold loose. Plan on about 1/2 pound (8 ounces) of raw brussels sprouts per person.

Fungal and bacterial infections cause black spots on Brussels sprouts. Prevent with spacing, air circulation, and tool sterilization.

Here's How to Do It

It's as simple as spreading the leftover Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet (use two to avoid overcrowding if there's a lot) and heating them in a 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. When the sprouts come out of the oven they'll be hot and crispy all over.

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

In fact, the tradition of cutting a cross in the base of a sprout might have less to do with culinary technique and more to do with superstition. In Medieval times, it was believed that evil spirits and demons lived between the leaves of the vegetable, and they would enter anyone who ate them, making them ill.

What gives Brussels sprouts a better taste? ›

In the late 1990s scientists identified specific chemicals, called glucosinolates, that made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously discarded for producing paltry harvests, to identify tastier versions with lower levels of these compounds.

A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemical, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene. The research found that around 50 per cent of the world's population have a mutation on this gene.

A Dutch scientist named Hans van Doorn, who worked at a seed and chemical company, figured out exactly which chemical compounds in Brussels sprouts made them bitter. The next step was to plant sprouts with the least amount of these chemicals and eventually cross-pollinate the chemicals out.

Although Brussel sprout allergy isn't common, hypersensitive people who ingest this vegetable may experience mild to moderate allergic symptoms.

America's least favorite veggies:

Radish (23 percent) Brussels sprouts (21 percent)

Sprouts and Foodborne Illness

Due to the high number of outbreaks, sprouts have been labeled as a “high risk” food. This means that people with compromised immune systems, such as children, elderly, pregnant women and those who are sick or taking medications that impair the immune system, should avoid eating sprouts.

What are genetically engineered foods? The new brussels sprouts varieties were developed through conventional plant breeding.