Cauliflower cooking time will vary depending on whether you cook it whole or in parts. In this article you will learn the different cooking times for cauliflower and get tips for the right preparation.

Cauliflower – also known as cauliflower or cauliflower – is a cultivar of vegetable cabbage. This type of cabbage originally comes from Asia, but has been cultivated throughout Europe for many centuries.

Cauliflower cooked in salted water makes a particularly good side dish. Alternatively, you can serve the cooked cauliflower with Hollandaise sauce or béchamel sauce. In Bavaria and Austria, cauliflower with crumbs (“Bröselkarfiol”) is also very well known and widespread.

Buy the right cauliflower

The leaves of fresh cauliflower are juicy green and firm. The individual florets should be an even light color and not black. Black spots could be an unhealthy fungal infection.
Cauliflower is in season in Germany from June to October. During this time you can buy the cabbage regionally.
Use cauliflower with an organic seal: It is free from chemical-synthetic pesticides and comes from sustainable agriculture. You should also use regional products for the ingredients whenever possible. Regionally grown vegetables have shorter transport routes and are therefore better for your carbon footprint.
By the way: Our seasonal calendar will help you shop locally and seasonally all year round.

Cooking times of cauliflower

Cauliflower cooking time depends on whether you want to cook the cauliflower whole or in pieces. Another criterion for cauliflower cooking time is how you plan to use the cooked cauliflower.

If you serve the cauliflower directly as a side dish, you should cook it until al dente to soft, depending on your preference.
If you want to process the cooked cauliflower in the pan, it should still be crisp after cooking so that it doesn’t fall apart when frying.
Tip: Taste a cauliflower floret after a short cooking time to determine whether the consistency is already right.

Cauliflower cooking time

To cook a small cauliflower whole, you need about 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time.
If the cauliflower is medium to large, the cooking time can be up to half an hour.
Cut the cauliflower into large florets and cook for around five to eight minutes. If you want to cook the florets al dente, four to six minutes is enough.
Small florets are cooked after just four minutes. If you want al dente cauliflower florets, three minutes is usually enough.
To blanch cauliflower florets, you need two to three minutes of cooking time, depending on their size.

This is how the cooked cauliflower succeeds

Cook the perfect cauliflower with these tips:

Salt the water as soon as it boils.
Always put the cauliflower florets in boiling water. Measure the cooking time of the cauliflower from the point when the water starts to boil again after adding the florets.
Only let the cooking water boil gently on the lowest temperature setting, as cauliflower breaks down very easily.
Make sure that the cauliflower florets are the same size and therefore have the same cooking time.
Even if you’re cooking cauliflower whole, you should bring the water to a boil first. Then place the cauliflower, florets side down, in the cooking water. Here, too, the time only counts from the moment when the water boils again. Then reduce the temperature and gently simmer the cauliflower in salted water.
Note: Because it cooks quickly, you can’t determine the correct cooking time for cauliflower by steeping it in cold water. Cauliflower florets that cook too long will overcook and taste mushy.

If you have a surplus harvest or simply want to prepare cauliflower out of season, you can freeze it and preserve it that way. We’ll show you how.

Cauliflower is in season in Germany from June to October. Then you can harvest the vegetables in your garden or buy them at the market. But you shouldn’t freeze it raw – otherwise it will probably become soft after thawing. We will show you how to proceed as gently as possible and how to preserve the important nutrients in the vegetables.

Before freezing: chop the cauliflower

• Wash the cauliflower and remove any leaves.
• Cut the cauliflower into pieces. Depending on the intended use, you can decide how big the pieces should be. We recommend cutting the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.

Freezing cauliflower: this is how it works

To preserve the nutrients in cauliflower, you need to blanch it before freezing.
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.
Meanwhile, have a bowl of ice water ready.
When the water boils, add a squeeze of lemon juice. This prevents the cauliflower from turning brown.
Place the cauliflower in the boiling water for about three minutes.
Then take the cauliflower out of the hot water with a slotted spoon and place it in the ice water.
Remove the cauliflower from the ice water and gently pat dry with a towel.

Place the cauliflower in freezer-safe containers and place them in the fridge. It’s important to portion the cauliflower or it will freeze together. This makes it difficult to separate and portion.
The cauliflower will keep for several months. When you prepare the cauliflower, add it to the cooking water from frozen. If you thaw it beforehand, it will quickly become mushy.

A cauliflower curry is prepared in no time at all and warms from the inside during the cold months. Find out here how to prepare the hearty vegan dish.

Curries are hearty dishes of Southeast Asian and South Asian cuisine and consist of vegetables such as cauliflower, potatoes, eggplant and zucchini with a spicy sauce and sometimes extra ingredients such as fish, meat or dairy products.

The spices are of particular importance in a curry. By default, the following are used:

• cardamom
• Ginger
• coriander
• turmeric
• mustard seeds
• cumin

Below we show you the recipe for a vegan cauliflower curry. The recipe is quick and easy.

Important: If possible, buy your ingredients for the curry with an organic seal to avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides. Also read, for example: Buying organic spices: the most important brands and online shops. Depending on the season, you can also buy the vegetables unpackaged at the weekly market.

Vegan Cauliflower Curry: A quick recipe

Ingredients:

1cauliflower
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
400 ml vegetable broth
400 ml coconut milk
4 tsp paprika powder
2 tbsp curry powder
salt and pepper
200 peas, TK

Directions:

Wash the cauliflower and divide it into small florets.
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic cloves. Heat some oil in a large pan and sweat both in it.
Add the cauliflower to the pan and sauté for a few minutes.
Deglaze the vegetables with the vegetable broth and coconut milk.
Let the curry simmer for about 20 minutes.
Season with paprika and curry powder and salt and pepper.
Add the peas to the curry and simmer for another ten minutes. When the sauce in the curry gets thicker and creamier, it’s done.

Cauliflower curry: tips for modification

You can vary the cauliflower curry according to your preferences. For example, if you don’t like peas, you can just leave them out. If desired, you can add a few chickpeas instead, for example. You can also combine the cauliflower curry with potatoes or sweet potatoes. You simply cut them into small, bite-sized pieces and let them simmer right from the start. And you also have a free hand with the spices: try out chilli powder, fresh coriander or oregano, for example.

Tip: Due to its richness, you can serve the curry as an independent main course. If you want, you can also eat rice or naan bread with it.

Cauliflower belongs to a group of cruciferous vegetables, also known as the cabbage family. It is closely related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and cabbage. The birthplace of cauliflower is Asia Minor. Its cultivation began 600 years BC. in Turkey. Cauliflower gained popularity in Europe in the 16th century, and its cultivation in America began in the early 20th century. Cauliflower requires slightly acidic clay soil that is rich in minerals.

1. Cauliflower can grow from 20 to 77 cm in both height and width.
2. The leaves are large and rough, green in color. They grow in a rosette shape, surrounding a stem, in the center of which is a large white head of cabbage.
3. Ahead of cabbage in cross-section looks like a miniature tree. Usually, its width is 15.2 cm, and its weight is 900-1400 g in large varieties. Ahead of cabbage consists of a central stem that forks and contains undeveloped flower buds.
4. Leaves support the development of a white head of cabbage. Without them, a bunch of inedible yellow flowers would appear.
5. The color of the head of cabbage depends on the variety. The most common type of cauliflower is white but green, purple, orange, brown, and yellow cauliflowers can also be found.
6. The green variety is known as broccoli because it is similar to broccoli.
7. Cauliflower belongs to the group of cruciferous vegetables. They are so named because they have flowers that consist of four petals growing in the shape of a Greek cross.
8. Cauliflower is propagated by seed.
9. Depending on the variety, it takes 50-265 days from planting seeds to harvesting. Cauliflower is harvested when it reaches the expected size and texture.
10. Cauliflower is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamins C, K, and B vitamins, as well as minerals such as manganese, potassium, and magnesium. The plant is low in calories and can be used as a substitute for rice and potatoes.
11. Cauliflower can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled.
12. Long-term cooking destroys most vitamins, and this is due to the unpleasant sulfur-like smell of cabbage. Cooking for 30 minutes or more reduces benefits by 75%.
13. Medical research has shown that substances isolated from cauliflower can prevent the development of certain types of cancer.
14. China is the largest producer of cauliflower in the world.
15. Cauliflower is an annual plant, which means that it completes its life cycle in one year.