Brussels Sprout Jade Cross F1 - Brassica oleracea gemmifera

The Jade Cross F1 Brussel Sprout is a very early and productive variety, hardy, well-suited to autumn crops and Mediterranean regions. This Brussel Sprout has pretty firm and green heads. Sow from March to June for a harvest from October to December.

The Brussel Sprout is a vegetable whose axillary buds are consumed, forming small heads also called 'buttons'. This biennial vegetable, cultivated as an annual, belongs to the large family of Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). It bears the Latin name Brassica oleracea gemmifera. Latin enthusiasts will appreciate the name 'Gemmifera' which refers to precious stones.

Originating, unsurprisingly, from Belgium, this sprout is a hybrid developed in the 14th century by market gardeners from Saint-Gilles (a municipality in the close 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, slightly sweet and very comforting flavor. Cooked carefully, its delicate taste pairs well with bacon, chestnuts, and smoked bacon. It can be eaten cooked, sautéed, braised, or even gratin... Quickly steamed, it is also excellent cold in salads. It is a vegetable rich in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins C and B.

The Brussel Sprout is a much less demanding vegetable than the majority of cabbages, it likes the sun and moderately rich soil, especially in nitrogen. Soil that is too generously fertilized would result in the production of too small, open, or burst heads.

Note: This variety is labeled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This produces a variety that can be particularly flavorful and/or early while being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are interesting both for their uniformity and resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to the next generations: it will therefore not be possible to recover the seeds for later sowing.

Harvest: Brussel Sprouts are harvested starting from the bottom of the stem and by cutting the small heads with a knife.

Storage: Brussel Sprouts can be stored for 3 to 4 days in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. They can also be frozen very well after being blanched for 3 to 5 minutes in salted boiling water.

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