How To Steam Broccoli
A Few Tips On How To Steam Broccoli
The key to wonderful, nutritious vegetables is the method that we use to prepare them for the table, and when it comes to greens, you will probably benefit greatly by knowing how to steam broccoli. There are a few ways of accomplishing this, so don’t panic if you can’t afford to run out and buy an expensive steamer or steaming pot. A stainless steel colander with a long handle should suffice, as long as it fits into the base of a covered pot that you already have. If this doesn’t seem to work in your kitchen, for lack of above mentioned tools, you can probably fashion a good steam tray for your oven. Most ovens come equipped with a broiler pan, which consists of a vented sheet over a dripping tray. More on that later, so let's start figuring out how to steam broccoli.
To begin with, you will need to be sure that your broccoli is as clean as possible. Using cold water, begin at the flowers and work your way sideways and down, removing any signs of pesticides, waxes, or sand and dirt. This isn’t difficult, but it is very necessary for your health and enjoyment. It can be quite unpleasant to crunch down on a hard, gritty piece of sand, and we don’t want this for our table. Once you have cleaned it thoroughly it will be time to chop and trim it. You can leave as much or as little stem on your flowers as you like, though most people use the stalk for a handle when munching on the tender buds of the flower. To make it easy on yourself, you can cut the stalk where it begins to fan out, and the flowers should fall or pull away from each other readily.
Your next most important step when learning how to steam broccoli will be the amount of water that you use for steam. A good steam will be produced from a small amount of water, not exceeding more than two inches from the bottom of your pan. When this small amount of water begins to boil and steam, there will be a great deal of room for the steam to collect and cook your vegetables. Larger amounts of water will take up too much air space and take much longer to heat to the proper temperature.
If using your broiling pan for the oven method, you will want to use one inch of boiling water for starters, and seal up your broccoli and pan tightly with aluminum foil. Your oven should be set at 400 degrees, and you can place the broiling pan on the lowest rack. Ten minutes should be ample time, and the same rules apply to your stove top steaming method. Have fun perfecting your methods for how to steam broccoli.