EASY Orange Cauliflower Recipe & Video - Seonkyoung Longest (2024)

FAQs

What makes cauliflower turn orange? ›

The colored varieties are created by mixing cauliflower with other plants. For example, green cauliflower is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli. Beta carotene makes cauliflower orange. (It makes carrots orange too).

Discovered in Canada in 1970, the mutant vegetable was shipped to Cornell University, where agricultural scientists crossbred it with white varieties to create the showstopper of a vegetable that's now available at farmers' markets and some grocery stores.

Orange cauliflower is highly favored among chefs for its visually striking nature, versatility, and ability to hold its color even when cooked. The variety is also being studied as a potential crop to help fight against vitamin A deficiencies, a global issue found within many different communities worldwide.

Purple. Purple cauliflower is the healthiest option, with numerous advantages. The purple hue is due to the antioxidants called anthocyanins. These are the pigments present in various other plants and plant-based products, including red cabbage and red wine.

In sum, orange cauliflower will hold its color no matter how (or how long) you cook it and green cauliflower will stay green as long as you don't overcook it. Stick with sautéing purple cauliflower to prevent its color from fading or make sure to blanch it until just crisp-tender.

Orange cauliflower is also dubbed “cheddar” cauliflower, though it tastes nothing like cheese. Its flavor is mild, slightly sweet, and creamy.

The culprit for this discoloration is oxidation, which happens naturally the longer cauliflower is stored. Oxidation is simply the natural change in the vegetable's color due to prolonged exposure to light and air.

The entire vegetable (floret, leaves, and stock) is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. Orange cauliflowers have a mild, sweet, nutty flavor which is amplified when roasted!

While a head of orange or green cauliflower might make you think it tastes slightly more cheesy or like broccoli, the flavour differences are minimal, if at all.

Choose cauliflower with densely packed florets and fresh, green leaves; avoid heads that have yellowing, wilted leaves or florets with brown spots. Purple, green, and orange cauliflower should be uniform in color.

How many minutes to boil cauliflower? ›

Cooked cauliflower florets keep their shape best when steamed (5-10 mins) – remember to place them upright in the steamer. It can also be boiled (takes 5-10 mins for florets; around 10 mins for a whole cauliflower). For both cooking methods, test regularly with the tip of a knife to make sure they don't overcook.

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

It's the same change that occurs when the flesh of sliced apples turns brown, and when ground meat turns gray. The good news is that you can still cook with this cauliflower. While the discoloration doesn't look appealing, it's harmless as long as the spots haven't turned a dark color or have a mushy texture.

As cauliflower matures in the field, the sun naturally alters the color of the head. If it is exposed too long to the sun, the curds turn a dull yellow. This doesn't affect the taste of the vegetable — in fact, it likely produces more phytonutrients — but it does affect our desire to buy it.

The colouring of these varieties is caused by exposure to sunlight, which causes pigments such as beta-carotene to develop in the cauliflower. If the cauliflower is green, it does not indicate that it is not yet ripe. Colourful types of cauliflower, by the way, have a more intense flavour than white cauliflowers.