How Many Florets is in a Pound of Cauliflower?

Cauliflower belongs to the same family as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

It is difficult to grow but can be planted in early spring or in fall. However, it is happiest when planted in a cool (not cold) climate.

The part of the cauliflower plant that is normally eaten is the large roundish head made up of little white flower buds called the curd.

Besides eaten raw, cauliflower is most often steamed, roasted and sautéed.

Since cauliflower is an edible part of the plant, it is considered a vegetable. Whereas a fruit is defined as a fully matured ovary of a seed plant.

There are numerous varieties of cauliflower that take on a variety of colors. Besides white, the most common colors are orange, purple, and green.

• White: This is the most common type of cauliflower which is found in most US grocery stores. They have a white edible head and large round dark green leaves which helps keep the sun from shining on the cauliflower. It's the lack of direct sunlight that makes the head remain white.

• Orange: This hybrid variety of cauliflower has the same shape as the white one, but the curd is bright orange. You will also see it appropriately called Cheddar cauliflower. When cooked, the orange color gets even brighter.

• Purple: Both Graffiti and Purple Head cauliflower produce purple curds that are tender to chew and mild flavored. The biggest difference between these 2 purple cauliflowers is the Graffiti variety remains purple when cooked where the Purple Head turns a greenish color. Purple Head is most often eaten blanched or raw in salads in order to take advantage of its

• Green: Romanesco green cauliflower grow into smaller heads than white cauliflower. This cauliflower has a mild nutty taste and resemble the color of broccoli.

Cauliflower looks like unripe white florets that are attached to a single stem that forms a compact, cabbage-like head, called a curd. The curd is generally 6 to 7 inches in diameter. The white head grows to about 6" across and is surrounded by long roundish green leaves on the stem.

In addition to the florets, the leaves and stalk can be eaten raw or cooked. Most often raw cauliflower is part of a veggie platter that is served with a dip. Many salads contain some raw cauliflower also. When cauliflower is cooked, it is served as a side dish to meat, poultry or fish.

The basic taste and texture of cauliflower is similar, no matter what color it is. However, the various colors do bring subtle differences. The basic taste has nutty undertones with a sweet tinge to it and its raw texture is crunchy. Once cooked, the texture becomes much softer

Because cauliflower does not have a strong flavor profile, it can easily be mixed with other vegetables and not smother them.

If you do not have cauliflower available to use, just about any root vegetable will do the trick. However, broccoli and zucchini are the 2 most common substitutes for cauliflower.

When you're ready to cook and eat cauliflower, start by washing off any remaining garden dirt. It is easiest to hold rinse the cauliflower head under cool running water in the kitchen sink.

Because of the odd shape of florets that make up the cauliflower head, most folks cut cauliflower by slicing down the smaller stems between the florets. This produces a bunch of loose florets. Depending on the size of the floret you need for the cooking method your recipe calls for, you can continue making more cuts to produce even smaller ones.

Steamed or roasted usually suggest bite-size pieces. Not only do these cook more evenly, but they are also easy to pop in your mouth.

Roasted, grilled, seared or gratins often call for a thick slab to be used. In this case you cut lengthwise straight through the whole curd, so the florets remain attached together.

Sautéed preparations cook more evenly when cut into small pieces

You can enjoy cauliflower just as it is! Cauliflower does not have skin on it, so it is not necessary to remove any before eating or cooking.

Most cauliflower heads do not have enough liquid inside them to make much in the way of juice. If you have a powerful juicer, you can give it a try, but it takes quite a few to do anything. There are many ways to enjoy eating cauliflower, that most folks don't find juicing worth it.

It is easy to purée cauliflower. Simmer the florets in broth, stock or other liquid until the cauliflower becomes tender when stuck with a fork. Place the softened cauliflower into a blender and puree. You can add some liquid until it becomes the consistency you prefer.

Store fresh cauliflower heads in a loosely closed or perforated plastic bag in the crisper of the refrigerator. Cauliflower stays fresher if there is some air circulation, so it's best not to seal the bag closed. In this situation, it should last for 5 to 7 days.

Cooked cauliflower should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Then it should maintain its quality for 4 or 5 days.

For long-term storage, freezing cauliflower is a great option. Cut the cauliflower into smaller florets and spread them out on a baking pan. Place the pan in the freezer until cold and firm. Once icy cold, place them in a Ziploc freezer bag and put them in the freezer for later. Frozen cauliflower can actually maintain good quality for about 1 year.