How Long To Roast Brussel Sprouts (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 30-40 minutes (Approx)

Brussel sprouts look like miniature cabbages. They belong to the group Brassica oleracea which indeed is the group of cabbages. It has gained its name from “Belgium” where it is very famous. These are leafy vegetables with edible buds. The buds are basically 1-4 cm in diameter.

Brussels sprouts are widely consumed in America, Belgium, Europe, and many more countries across the world. It is done so because of its high nutrient value. Water forms the most part of brussels sprouts which is 85%. Rest it comprises of carbohydrates (9%), proteins (3%), fats (negligible), vitamins B, C, K, minerals, and essential fibers.

How Long to Roast Brussel Sprouts?

In order to cook Brussel sprouts, first of all, the buds are extracted and all the extra parts such as the stem are taken off. It is then thoroughly cleaned. The extracted buds are cooked by boiling, steaming followed by roasting. The two magical ingredients that make Brussel sprouts taste heavenly are salt and oil. After cleaning and boiling, Brussel salt is sauteed in oil and a pinch of salt. After doing that, it is kept in a pre-heated oven (400 degrees F) for 20-30 minutes until they look dark brownish from outside.

The appropriate temperature for roasting brussels sprouts is 400 degrees F. The oven is preheated at 400 degrees F and the brussels sprouts are put in the oven for 25-30 minutes until it becomes crisp from the outside and soft from the inside.

It is to be noted that if brussels sprouts are not cooked properly, they produce an unpleasant smell. They, then produce a sulfurous smell which is unpleasant to many. This is why it is important to roast the sprouts until they become crisp. Roasting Brussel sprouts require a high temperature like 400-500 degrees F. Roasting and cooking them at such a high temperature ensures that the outer layer is cooked and hardened properly and the after product is sweet.

The following table shows the timings for roasting Brussel sprouts at different temperatures:-

Why Do Brussel Sprouts Take This Long To Roast?

Brussel sprouts belong to the group Brassica. They are very leafy, just like cabbage. Being a member of brassica, they are rich in glucosinolates which contain a lot of sulfur and nitrogen. Because of all the sulfur and nitrogen present, its taste when tasted uncooked is not very nice. It basically tastes bitter.

In order to get rid of the bitterness of the Brussel sprouts, they are cooked and roasted at a very high temperature. By doing so, the sulfur and nitrogen content gets lowered and the bitterness decreases to a large extent. They rather taste sweet after roasting. It takes around 25-30 minutes to roast at a high temperature so that all the nitrogen and sulfur are lost, the outer part becomes brownish and crisp and the inner part becomes soft and sweet.

Conclusion

Brussel sprouts belong to the group brassica. They are commonly known as miniature cabbages because they are small and look like cabbage.

Brussel sprouts are high in sulfur and nitrogen. They taste bitter. For many animals tasting bitter is a “DO NOT EAT” sign. But in the case of humans, the benefits Brussel sprouts have overweighs the bitterness and chemicals present in them. Brussel sprouts are packed with carbohydrates, water, proteins, beta carotenes, fibers, iron, magnesium, and folic acid. They are also rich in vitamins such as vitamin A, B, E, and K. This shows that even though they taste and smell nasty but they have limitless benefits to health.

In order to make the sprouts taste sweet and tasty, they are roasted at a high temperature so that all the sulfur is lost and the bitterness decreases. It has to be roasted until the outer covering becomes crisp and hard. The brown color on the outer covering is the indicator that they are ready to serve.

References

1. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2016/ra/c6ra08428a
2. https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cpt197925188