We may whine about them and boil them into submission, but we are buying more Brussels sprouts than ever. Bord Bia figures show that sales of the maligned vegetable have increased by almost a million kilograms in the past four years.
We bought 2.8 million kg of Brussels sprouts last year and this Christmas we are expected to munch our way through 98 million sprouts.
Michal Slawski of Bord Bia said the increase could be explained by the fact that Brussels sprouts were not an expensive purchase, so they held a greater appeal to budget-conscious consumers. They are available for longer periods, rather than just Christmas.
Cooked with a twist
“They have also benefited from the increase in home cooking. They are regularly featured by celebratory chefs in the lead-up to Christmas, often with a contemporary twist,” she said.
This new-found appreciation for the little green vegetable is music to the ears of Brussels sprouts grower David Keogh. He grows 80 acres of sprouts in Tara, Co Meath, and believes people who don't like sprouts are overcooking them. He said some boiled them to mush.
His father Charlie started growing sprouts 50 years ago. “It’s a tricky vegetable to grow,” he said. “It’s very labour-intensive.” The sprouts on sale this Christmas were planted in May. “They want a lot of care. They are really like children. From the time they are planted until they are harvested you nearly have to be in the field every day to see what they are doing and when they are doing it. If you’re not feeding them with organic fertilisers you are trying to keep fly and caterpillar away.”
Every sprout may look the same but he grows 10 varieties out of a possible 30.
Seasonal harvest
He hopes to start harvesting in earnest this weekend and has drafted in 20 seasonal workers so harvesting and packing can run for 24 hours a day up to Christmas Eve. “I would sell 50 or even 55 per cent of my sprouts in about 10 days of the year,” he said.
He said you could count the number of commercial growers on one hand. “There’s about four of us in Meath, north Co Dublin and Cork growing the sprouts for the country.”
Not surprisingly he is partial to a sprout every now and then.
"I love them. If it's Christmas day, you have to have Brussels sprouts. There are so many ways to cook them. I'm not going to start being Jamie Oliver by telling you how to do it."
But his preference is to parboil them, add smoky bacon, almonds and double whipped cream and roast them in the oven. “They’re absolutely gorgeous,” he said.
