How Long To Steam Broccoli (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 6 Minutes

There is no reason cooking delicious food should be complex. Various dishes can be easily cooked and served without much work. Nowadays, restaurants and food chains are one of the thriving industries in every country. There isn’t a reason why one should visit a restaurant for tasty food and meals.

Every dish can be easily prepared if one knows the right ingredients and the right recipe. The recipe one follows must also keep the nutrients in the dish intact. There are many cooking methods to keep the dish nutritious, steaming is the best choice.

Broccoli is one of the ingredients that is tastes good and healthy when steamed. Normally, one should steam broccoli for around six to seven minutes.

How Long To Steam Broccoli?

Brocolli is a vegetable that is a good source of various proteins and fibers. It is green in color and contains various vitamins and minerals. On whole, it is very nutritious and can be eaten every day without any huge side effects. It also contains iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and vitamins A, C, E, K.

It reduces the risk of cancer, boosts up immunity, improves skin’s health and appearance, helps in balancing inflammation and it also helps one with digestion. Another fact about broccoli is that they have antioxidants that fight free radicals and they also reduce your risks of heart disease and damage. They also contain sulforaphane, strengthens bones, reduces cholesterol, and also lowers blood sugar.

Therefore, broccoli is a must-add ingredient to your meal as as one can. There are various methods to cook broccoli. Broccoli can be eaten raw, but, some of the cooking ideas include boiling, roasting, and steaming. Steaming is the most preferred one of them all, as they release the nutrients very much.

One can eat raw by chopping up the broccoli florets into fine pieces. Then, one can have them as a crunchy snack. One can toss the finely chopped broccoli and add it to salads.

Why Does It Take That Long To Steam Brocolli?

There is no factor other than the cooking method and temperature that influences the cooking time of broccoli. To steam broccoli, one will have to fill a pot with about an inch of water. After that, fit the steamer basket into the water pot and let the water boil. Place the broccoli on the basket in even spaces. Let the water boil, place a lid on the pot, and let the broccoli steam for 6 minutes.

At the seventh minute, which is the brink point, the broccoli will start turning into olive green from fresh green. At this point, the broccoli will get overcooked. When one wants to blanch it, they will have to boil the broccoli in water until they are tender and crispy.

One can check if the broccoli is cooked by putting a fork through it. When they are tender and the fork goes through, the broccoli is well cooked. Overcooking them can easily make them chewy, so be certain to never overcook them. Undercooking them will not give them the tenderness.

While boiling the broccoli, salt can be added to make them soft. The seasonings can be added later. Before eating the broccoli, toss grounded black pepper, and seasoned vinegar. They go very well with broccoli. Serving them with mayonnaise on the side and dashing olive oil with lemon zest or balsamic vinegar will also give the greatest combination.

Conclusion

The reason to use a steamer basket is to keep the broccoli out of water. When the broccoli gets in contact with water, it becomes very soggy as it already contains water. When a steamer pan is not available, putting the broccoli directly in water requires an eye on them.

When one lets the broccoli gets too much soaked in water, they will get waterlogged, spoiling the dish. After steaming the broccoli for five to six minutes, top them with finely grated asiago, parmesan, or any hard cheese. They also go well with alfredo sauce. Steam them well, get them on top with the best seasonings, and it is a delicious dish, full of nutrients.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814608011436
2. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf60206a037