Milford chronicle., 1933-03-17
BROCCOLI SUCCESSFULLY
CANNED FOR FIRST TINE
BY BRAKELEY'S, INC

The canning of broccoli has fol
/, the first time been successfully ac.
complished by the Brakeley's. Inc.
OF this city. Broccoli, an Italian de.
licacy, is a comparatively new veg
etable in this country, having been
introduced here about ten years ago.
The two main drawbacks to brOc-
coli in this country have been the
difficulty in raising il and the diff
Guilty in preparing it for the table.
The two principal reasons why broc-
coli is difficult to raise are: Q) the
seed mixes with the seed of the
mustard plant and, consequently,
when farmer tries to raise crop
of broccoli he finds when the vege-
table begins to grow that he has a
crop of half broccoli and half mus
tard plants; and (2) broccoli. being
a member Of the cabbage family, is
attacked by the cabbage worm.
Many farmers in the past who have
thought that they have been raising
broccoli have been raising seven
top turnips and did not know the
difference.
The difficulty in preparing the
dish for the table is due to the pe-
culiar structure of the plant. The
stalk is heavy and course and has
to be cooked for some time before
il is edible, while the blossom of the
broccoli is very light and tender
and requires very little cooking.
Consequently. when the dish is be-
ing prepared the blossom is cooked
long before the stalk begins to get
tender, and by the time the stalk is
cooked the blossom is over cooked. !
When Mr.. Draper and Mr.. Brake |
ly. members of the concern, con-
templated the canning of broccoli, |
they found that the foregoing were
the difficulties they were going to |
encounter and would have to over I
come if they were going to success
fully can the product.
The iirst problem they took. I'D
was the procuring of the proper
seed. They did not want to can sew
EN- top turnips and they did not
want to plant seed that had been
pollenized by mustard plants. They
began an investigation and found
that they could buy the broccoli
seed from a concern in New Jersey
that imported the seed direct from
Italy. They purchased the seed from
This concern and began the growing
Of broccoli. The seed was free from
Mustard seed but they had their
tight with the cabbage worm. They
combat the worms with
spray. Their first crop was produc-
ed and The broccoli was bitter They
decided that the crop had been
planted too early. The next year ,
hey planted later and about half of
he crop was ruined by cold wea-
her. This year they struck a happy I
Medium between early and late
planting and the crop was success
ul. I
The next difficulty they had to .
was the proper cooking of
he broccoli. They developed Sc
ret process by which they cooked Z
he stalk and the blossom both to
he same degree of tenderness.
The canned broccoli that Brake :
ey's recently put on the market is
much more tender and tasty than
reSh broccoli. The reason for this =
8 that in the cannery the broccoli is )
ooked in air tight cans and the part !,
{ the vegetable that makes il tasty :
oes not escape i'm gaseOue form. >
Vhen fresh broccoli is being cooked =,
4 a home the OdOT that escapes 3
rom the kitchen is as bad as cab :,
age when il is cooking However, 4
ad this odor may seem. it has been 3
roven that the best part of the veg =
table IS escaping in this gaseous :.
lrm