Worms in my broccoli.

[suesam]

My dh planted broccoli for the first time in my garden. It is doing great. But what grosses me out are the tiny, green, broccoli lookalike worms in the broccoli. We are trying to not use any chemicals. Is there anything I can do to get the worms off of it before we eat it? Soak it in something? I am picking through each tiny little piece and really searching and searching now. Yuck! I really do not want to eat these worms. The broccoli is delicious!

Sue

 

[Patri]

That's why I don't grow certain vegetables in my garden. Or buy them from local growers. One year I served lettuce purchased from a farmer's market, and my guest found a worm in her salad. Now I only buy that type of produce from the grocery store! I don't care if it's not as healthy or tasty.

 

[neash]

I have heard that soaking the broccoli in warm salt water should get them out.

 

[JoAnn]

The salt water treatment has always worked for me. Learned this from my MIL...great cook & lady.

 

[AwayWeGo]

The Worms Crawl In. The Worms Crawl Out. The Worms Play Pinochle All About.

I really do not want to eat these worms. The broccoli is delicious!

How do you feel about eating the fresh broccoli when you know that the worms formerly were walking around on it ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[laura1957]

How do you feel about eating the fresh broccoli when you know that the worms formerly were walking around on it ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

I think this is one of those cases where what I dont know wont hurt me -
BUT what I know would gross me out TOO much to eat it
Who knows what was in grocery store broccoli - but if I didnt see it I probably wouldnt think about it, of course after this topic - I probably wont be able to stop thinking of it...

 

[AwayWeGo]

Why We Don't (Try To) Grow Broccoli.

I think this is one of those cases where what I dont know wont hurt me -
BUT what I know would gross me out TOO much to eat it
Who knows what was in grocery store broccoli - but if I didnt see it I probably wouldnt think about it, of course after this topic - I probably wont be able to stop thinking of it.

I like broccoli -- hate squash, but that's another story -- so I figured I'd try growing some broccoli in my own back yard.

How hard could it be ?

I bought a packet of broccoli seeds down at the garden shop. I started making mental plans.

Then a neighbor who farmed the land hereabouts till they broke up all the fields & pastures for suburban homes back in the 1950s & 1960s told us, "I never grow broccoli. It gets worms all over it."

Case closed.

But I still have that unopened seed packet somewhere around here. Let me know if you'd like to have it.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[pjrose]

Hi Sue,

We had the same tiny worms on our homegrown broccoli. A friend suggested treating the broccoli plants with bacillus thurengeosis (I'm sure the spelling is wrong) which is apparently some kind of bacteria that kills them (as opposed to a chemical).

We would soak the broccoli (also cauliflower and brussels sprouts) in salt water, and the little guys would float to the top. Even so, I always inspected the cooking water and found a few more....blech.

Yes, I know they've walked on it, pooped on it, etc.....but it's still yucky.

PJ

 

[PigsDad]

Mmmm... Extra protein! :whoopie:

I have always used the salt water trick to get rid of the worms as well. I would often soak it for several hours -- it seemed to take a while for some of those critters to float up.

To me, it is still worth the hassle. I am a huge broccoli fan, and garden-grown broccoli is so much tastier than the stuff in the stores. (maybe it's the extra protein? :rofl: )

Kurt

 

[PigsDad]

Now I only buy that type of produce from the grocery store! I don't care if it's not as healthy or tasty.

Don't kid yourself -- the bugs are still there. It's just that the veggies have been sitting around for so long that the bugs are all dead and shriveled up -- but still there!

Kurt

 

[DianeH]

Just had to chime in with this...

whats worse than finding a worm in your brocolli?.....................
only finding half!

couldn't resist...

Diane

 

[MULTIZ321]

Broccoli Q & A's, including use of bacillus thuringiensis

PJ - you were close in the spelling

Cabbage, Broccoli & Green Worms - from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences



Richard

 

[Patri]

Don't kid yourself -- the bugs are still there. It's just that the veggies have been sitting around for so long that the bugs are all dead and shriveled up -- but still there!

Kurt

LOL Well that's ok. If they don't move and I can't see them, I won't worry about them.

 

[Born2Travel]

ugh

I guess that's why I don't buy or eat nearly enough produce. From tomatos to peppers to catalope, to.... you can't tell what's hiding in or on it that you can't see. I suppose that's true of most anything we eat, but still...

 

[ricoba]

The brand new edition of Mother Earth News has an article on pesticide free gardening. It lists bugs/critters etc and what you can use to kill/control them.

I just got mine in the mail today, but I would imagine it should be on the news stands.

 

[pjrose]

Broccoli Q & A's, including use of bacillus thuringiensis

PJ - you were close in the spelling

Cabbage, Broccoli & Green Worms - from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences

Richard

Yay for my close spelling!

Here's the choice:
Worms,
Salt water and maybe some worms (or half worms),
or pesticide residues

Organics probably use bacillus thuringiensis - which, come to think of, is a bug of sorts.

 

[suesam]

Thank you all!!
I used the salt and water and soaked it for most of the afternoon. I searched really long and hard for worms before I ate any! I think I got them! It is so interesting how the little worm looks exactly like the broccoli stem, especially for those of us who probably need bifocals but refuse to get them due to denial!

The broccoli was really, really yummy. I feel healthier already!

Thanks again!

Sue

 

["Roger"]

Dipel is the most common trade name for bacillus thuringiensis. It is considered organic. It can be "fairly" effective, but will not totally eliminate the cabbage worms. You should still soak the brocolli in salt water and do a careful examination.

The fact that commercial brocolli can come without any of these worms always makes me wonder how laced it must be with pesticides. That is not a pleasant thought either.

 

[RonB]

It's too late for this year, but there are a number of row covers available that will prevent the moths from reaching the broccoli in the first place, (no moths means no eggs and no worms). You put in place when you plant the broccoli and pull it back only to fertilize and pick.
Ron