Snowball Cauliflower

Snowball Cauliflower

Heirloom. One of the oldest classic cauliflower varieties. Up until today, it remains one of the best and most widely adapted cauliflowers. A market leader for many years, until all the new hybrids came out. Snowball is a great producer of compact, well-formed, ivory-white heads of good quality. Early to mid-season. The flower spirals form a Fibonacci sequence.

Cauliflower originated in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, and the earliest record indicates that it was known and used since about 600 B.C. Dean’s early snowball is said to be the oldest of the snowball varieties, Introduced by Mr A. Dean to England in 1876 from Denmark where it was largely cultivated. Snowball was originally a strain of Early Erfurt. According to Mr Dean: “The snowball may be told by one unfailing test, when the heads begin to burst into flower, they become suffused with a pretty purple tint”. Today it is still a favorite, and parent to many strains of the original Snowball variety grown for the market.

Cauliflower is versatile and can be eaten in various ways. Use the freshly harvested florets raw in salads. Cauliflower is best served steamed and not boiled. Serve with lemon juice or white-, or cheese sauce. Also good in stir-fries and soups or pickled. Cauliflower can also be blanched and frozen for later use. Young leaves can be cooked like spinach or cabbage and are also good in stir fries. Do not over-harvest the leaves or the head formation will suffer.

Cauliflower is a good source of fiber, iron, potassium and Vitamins C, B3, and B5. Along with the other members of the cabbage family it is an immune system booster.

Cauliflower requires full sun and well-drained soil. We produce them well in very rich well composted soil as this is a hungry feeder. Manure is a very good source of nitrogen needed for the first half of plant development. It is a cool weather crop, and the nest planting times is early spring and late summer. Start in trays 4-5 weeks before the time. As the head develops, fold leaves over it for protection. Harvest before the flower sections begin to separate. The head should be compact, firm, white and fairly smooth. About 75-90 days to maturity