Are these bad Brussels sprouts???

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syakoban

Assistant Cook
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
Messages
7
Hi,
We bought a few pounds of organic Brussel Sprouts at a Farmer's Market and not having cooked with them much, don't know if they have a real problem or not.
The outer leaves have some black spots so we've pulled them off, but as we keep going deeper and deeper into each sprout, there is a beige/translucent white/gray (?) gel looking substance stuck to the leaves. Under magnification they don't look like bugs, but we don't know if they are eggs or some natural plant secretion or what.

Does anyone know what this is? Is it safe? Are the sprouts bad? Can it be removed?
HELP!

Photos here:
http://ehydrant.com/IMG_0939.JPG


http://ehydrant.com/IMG_0940.JPG
 
On the 2nd link you give, you can quite clearly see a bug. I wouldn't eat them since they sound infected right the way through. Since you have bought quite a lot of them, any chance of you returning them for a refund? They do not sound fit for purpose to me, i.e. not really edible.
 
I don't eat Brussels sprouts, but eating bugs or bug eggs doesn't necessarily make food unsafe, just icky. Am wondering if you leaf apart the Bs, drop the leaves into a big bowl of water, stir and rinse under running water in a colander, then dry in a salad spinner or kitchen towel, they might still be useable.

At least you know they don't have pesticides!
 
I agree with Dawg. We grow a lot of vegetables and there is often something sticky or blemished on them. Just wash and dry well and proceed. You will be fine :)
 
I agree with Dawg. We grow a lot of vegetables and there is often something sticky or blemished on them. Just wash and dry well and proceed. You will be fine :)
I would normally agree except that the description, in the OP, is that the infection is all the way through the sprout i.e. not just the external part. :ermm: Plus a lot of work to wash out every sprout into its innermost leaves!

I wouldn't find that appealing to eat but each to their own I guess.
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i am not fond of bugs in my food either. i have always soaked my sprouts in salt water for an hour or so before trimming them. This makes all of the little critters curl up and float to the surface. A few stirs during soaking does not hurt either. Our sprouts are nice and sweet this year thanks to a couple of nice frosts.
 
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