Cauliflower Extra-Extra-Early of Angers (untreated) - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds - Brassica oleracea

The Early Extra-Early Cauliflower from Angers is a particularly early and hardy variety that produces large, firm, and fine-grained white heads. This autumn and winter cauliflower is resistant to cold, and can be sown from March to June for a harvest from September to December.

With its pure white colour and, in recent years, cheerful yellow, orange, or purple, the cauliflower is a flowering vegetable whose fleshy meristem is consumed. It belongs to the large family of Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae) and has the Latin name Brassica oleracea botrytis. Sometimes called Cyprus cabbage, cauliflower is a biennial vegetable plant believed to have originated in China.

First consumed in Germany only 300 years ago, this vegetable has earned a special place in our kitchens because it can be prepared in many ways. It can be eaten raw in salads or cooked, plain, in gratin with béchamel sauce, or accompanied by a curry sauce that complements its flavor very well. It is a low-calorie vegetable and rich in vitamin C.

There are many varieties of cauliflower, and each has its own distinct growing period that should be respected. By carefully choosing your seeds, you can enjoy this vegetable all year round.

Cauliflower is a demanding vegetable, requiring excellent compost and regular moisture.

Harvest: Cauliflower should be harvested when the head is compact by simply cutting it at ground level.

Storage: Cauliflower does not keep very well. It is best to consume it quickly after harvesting. It can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it after blanching for 3 minutes in salted boiling water.

Gardener's tip: The main enemy of cauliflower is the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae), a beautiful creamy white butterfly with small black spots that emerges in April-May to feast on its leaves throughout the summer. We prefer to prevent this by installing insect-proof netting on market garden hoops. These nets are easy to set up and reusable to protect, for example, your carrot and leek crops.

Untreated or 'NT' seeds come from conventionally grown plants (often using pesticides), but they undergo no treatment after harvest. These seeds are allowed in organic market gardening when organic seeds are out of stock.