Brussels Sprout Red Bull - Brassica oleracea gemmifera

The 'Red Bull' Brussels Sprout is an improved variety derived from the Rubine Brussels Sprout. It is distinguished by the red-violet colouration of its leaves and buds, which persists after cooking. It is a beautiful, original, and tasty Brussels sprout that is easy to harvest. Sow from March to April for a harvest from late August to November.

The Brussels sprout is a vegetable whose axillary buds, forming small heads called "buds," are consumed. This biennial vegetable, cultivated as an annual, belongs to the large Brassicaceae family (formerly Cruciferae). It bears the Latin name Brassica oleracea gemmifera. Latin enthusiasts will appreciate "Gemmifera," which refers to gemstones.

Originating from Belgium, this sprout is a hybrid developed in the 14th century by market gardeners from Saint-Gilles (a municipality on the near outskirts of Brussels), concerned with increasing their productivity. Indeed, growing vertically, the Brussels sprout takes up little space on the ground and allows for abundant harvests in a minimum of space.

An autumn and winter vegetable par excellence, the Brussels sprout has a mild, sweet, and comforting flavour. Carefully cooked, its delicate taste pairs well with bacon, lard, and smoked breast but also with chestnut. It is consumed cooked, sautéed, braised, or even gratinéed... Quickly steamed, it is also excellent cold in salads. It is a vegetable rich in fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins C and B.

The Brussels sprout is a much less demanding vegetable than most cabbages; it enjoys the sun and moderately rich soil, especially in nitrogen. Soil that is too generously fertilised would produce too small, open, or burst heads.

Harvest: Brussels sprouts are harvested by starting at the bottom of the stem and cutting the small heads with a knife.

Storage: Brussels sprouts can be stored for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator's vegetable compartment. They can also be frozen well after being blanched in salted boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.

Gardener's tip: The main enemy of cabbage, the Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae), is a beautiful cream-white butterfly with small black spots that wakes up from April to May to wreak havoc all summer by devouring its leaves. Don't be caught off guard; opt for prevention by installing an insect-proof net tightly on market garden hoops. These nets are easy to install and reusable to protect, for example, your carrot and leek crops.