Brussels sprouts are a nutritious vegetable laden with fiber, vitamin C, and folate.
They’re also one of the most popular vegetables in the United States.
So, it makes sense that they have a lot of fans, but there are still some things people don’t know about them.
For example, you might not be aware that they can go bad if you buy them too early or store them incorrectly.
But what exactly happens to them when they get old?
How long do brussel sprouts last?
As with all fresh produce, brussel sprouts will continue to taste good as long as they’re kept at room temperature.
The best way to ensure this is to keep them away from other foods and make sure they’re not exposed to any heat sources like your oven or stove.
If you want to extend their shelf life, you should store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
If you’re concerned about keeping them around longer than 24 hours, you can freeze them in a freezer bag.
You can also add them to soups, stews, and other dishes once they’ve been cooked.
This way, you won’t lose all of their nutrients by eating them right out of the fridge or pantry.
But if you’re looking to preserve them for longer periods of time, then you’ll need to find ways to extend their lifespan.
Here are a few tips on how to do just that.
Refrigerate
The first thing you should do after purchasing your brussel sprouts is put them in the refrigerator.
It’s important to keep them cold because this helps slow down the growth of bacteria and prolongs their lifespan.
However, you shouldn’t leave them in the fridge for more than three days.
After that point, they’ll start to develop brown spots and rot which means they’re no longer safe to eat.
Wash well
Once you’ve purchased your sprouts, it’s essential that you wash them thoroughly before storing them.
Brussel sprouts contain a lot of dirt, so you want to remove all traces of it to prevent anything harmful from growing inside of them.
To do this, pour boiling water over them and let them soak for five minutes before rinsing off under running tap water.
Then, use a clean cloth to wipe them dry.
Discard wilted sprouts
When you purchase your sprouts, make sure they look fresh and vibrant.
You don’t want to buy them if they’re wilting or discolored.
These signs indicate that they’ve gone bad and may cause food poisoning.
So, discard these sprouts immediately.
Keep them separate
It’s important to keep your sprouts separate from each other.
This prevents cross-contamination between different types of sprouts and ensures that they stay healthy and fresh.
When you store them in a single container, you’re exposing them to a large amount of oxygen which causes them to quickly spoil.
Instead, divide them into individual containers or bags so that they remain protected from each other.
How long do brussel sprouts stay fresh?
Brussels sprouts keep well on their own.
The best way to store them is to rinse them under cold water, wrap them in paper towels, and put them in a plastic bag.
You can leave the sprouts at room temperature (70 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to three days without any problems.
You can also freeze them.
Just remove the outer leaves before putting them in your freezer.
After you take out the sprouts, wash them under running water and pat them dry with paper towels.
Then, pack them into a ziploc bag and pop them in the freezer.
You can keep them in the freezer for up to two months.
When you want to thaw them, just place them in a bowl of warm water until they’re soft enough to eat.
If you want to use them as part of a meal, cook them quickly and serve them immediately.
If you let them sit around for too long, they will start to lose flavor.
Another thing you should remember is that cooking sprouts changes their texture.
So, if you plan to add them to a dish like stir-fry or soup, make sure that you’ve cooked them first so that they aren’t mushy or tough.
How long do brussel sprouts last in the fridge?
The short answer is “not very long.” While you can keep them in your refrigerator for up to three days, you should probably only buy them on sale and eat them as soon as possible.
This is because they will start to lose their crispness and flavor after a few days.
You can freeze Brussels sprouts for up to six months, but they won’t retain much of their nutritional value.
You may also find that they take on an off-putting odor if you leave them in your freezer for too long.
How long do brussel sprouts last in the freezer?
When brussel sprouts start to go bad, they lose their crisp texture and become mushy.
You can tell they’ve gone bad by looking at them—when they’re fresh, they look like little green cabbages with dark brown spots on the leaves.
When they turn soft, they start to smell funny and taste bitter.
You can freeze brussel sprouts as soon as you bring them home from the grocery store, so there’s no need to wait until they’re out of season.
Just make sure you keep your frozen veggies in an airtight container, because moisture will cause them to rot quickly.
If you want to extend the life of your brussel sprouts, you should keep them in the refrigerator instead of freezing them.
That way, you won’t have to worry about them going bad before you use them.
Keep reading to find out how long brussel sprouts last in the fridge!
How long do cooked brussel sprouts last?
Cooked brussel sprouts can stay fresh in your fridge for up to two weeks.
You should use them within three days after cooking, though, because the longer they sit, the more likely they are to spoil.
To make sure you don’t overcook your brussel sprouts, cook them until they turn bright green on both sides.
Remove them from the pan as soon as they reach this stage.
If you leave them in longer than necessary, they will continue to cook and become mushy and brown.
You can freeze brussel sprouts by placing them in an airtight container and freezing them.
Once frozen, you can remove them from the freezer and let them thaw before using them.
They won’t lose their crispness, so you can eat them straight from the freezer.
If you want to keep them fresher longer, you can wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and refrigerate them.
Don’t do this with fresh brussel sprouts, however, because they will start to dry out.
Instead, try storing them in a plastic bag or container with a tight-fitting lid.
How long do raw brussel sprouts last?
Raw brussel sprouts will keep their freshness longer than cooked ones.
However, they lose their crispiness after a couple of days once they’ve been refrigerated.
The best way to preserve their freshness is to eat them right away or within two days of purchase.
The USDA recommends that you consume any raw brussel sprouts within three days of purchasing them from your local grocery store.
Once you start storing them, the following guidelines apply:
- If you find that your brussel sprouts have started to turn brown, toss them out immediately.
- If you notice mold growing on your brussel sprouts, discard them immediately.
- If you don’t see any signs of spoilage, however, feel free to keep them in your fridge for up to seven more days.
- As they age, they become tougher and less crunchy.
- You should always cook them before eating them because they won’t retain their tenderness.
- Rinse them under cold running water to remove excess soil and then pat dry with paper towels.
- After that, they’ll begin to soften and lose nutrients.
- Don’t eat them beyond this point.
- When frozen, brussel sprouts tend to become soggy and lose their crispiness.
- That said, you can thaw them in the microwave without damaging them.
What causes sprout decay?
Most sprouts are prone to decay if they’re stored improperly.
The main culprits are moisture, light, and temperature.
If you don’t store your sprouts properly, they’ll begin to rot quickly.
To avoid these problems, follow these tips:
- Store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator or in a plastic bag in the freezer.
- Wash them again just before cooking to remove excess dirt and debris.
- Refrigerating them helps to slow down the process of decay, but you shouldn’t leave them in the fridge for more than two days.
- If you want to extend their shelf life, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer.
How long do brussel sprouts last after being picked?
The short answer is that they don’t last very long.
In fact, most fresh brussel sprouts don’t last more than two days, according to the USDA.
That means you should eat your first sprout as soon as possible after picking it.
If you want to keep them longer, you need to refrigerate them right away.
If you’re going to freeze them, however, you should plan on keeping them for up to three months.
You can use them in soups, stews, stir-fries, and salads.
Some people even add them to their diets as a snack.
Just make sure to remove them from the freezer before using so they thaw quickly.
It’s important to note that the length of time you’ll keep your brussel sprouts depends on how you store them.
So we’ll talk about how to store them properly later in this article.
How long do brussel sprouts last after being cooked?
If you bought your sprouts at the grocery store and they were fresh, then they should last up to three days.
However, they will start to deteriorate much sooner than that if they aren’t stored properly.
You can keep them for up to two weeks if you store them in the refrigerator.
If you can’t bear the thought of eating rotten sprouts right away, then you can freeze them instead.
Just make sure to remove the outer leaves first, as they will turn black before the rest of the sprout does.
The best way to store them is in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid.
You can also try putting them in the crisper drawer of your fridge, which keeps them from getting wet.
However, if you want to avoid storing them at all, then you can blanch them first.
Blanching involves cooking them in boiling water until they become tender.
Then, just let them cool down and enjoy!
But, if you’re looking for something more permanent, here are some tips on how to keep them longer:
Wash them well
When you wash your sprouts, you need to remove any dirt and debris from their surface.
Otherwise, bacteria will grow inside them, leading to mold and rot.
So, make sure to thoroughly scrub them clean.
Don’t over cook them
If you overcook your sprouts, then they will lose a lot of nutrients, including vitamins C and K.
And, since they contain a fair amount of sugar, you could even end up with a sweet tasting vegetable.
So, make sure you only cook them until they’re slightly underdone.
As a general rule, you should take them off the heat once they start to soften and look translucent.
Leave them alone
It’s important to leave your sprouts alone while they’re cooking.
The reason why is because cooking them causes them to release moisture into the air, which leads to spoilage.
So, make sure to stir them regularly so they don’t stick to each other.
Keep them out of direct sunlight
Since sprouts are highly perishable, you shouldn’t place them anywhere where they’ll be exposed to light, especially bright sunlight.
This will cause them to dry out quickly, which will lead to mold growth.
Keep them away from oxygen
Another thing you need to consider is that your sprouts will start to degrade faster if they come into contact with oxygen.
So, make sure to keep them in an airtight container or bag whenever possible.
Refrigerate them immediately
You should always refrigerate your sprouts immediately after cooking them.
This will help prevent them from drying out and losing flavor.
Plus, it will also slow down the rate at which they begin to spoil.
How long do brussel sprouts last after being frozen?
If you’ve ever had a brussel sprout salad, then you already know that they’re delicious!
However, you may not realize that brussel sprouts are actually quite hardy.
In fact, they’re one of the most versatile vegetables out there – they can be cooked in soups, salads, stir-fries, and even eaten raw.
So, if you want to keep your brussel sprouts fresh for as long as possible, you need to know how long they last on the shelf.
The good news is that brussel sprouts don’t really spoil very quickly once they’re thawed from the freezer.
Instead, their quality will start to degrade over time.
The bad news is that you can’t tell how much quality has been lost until it’s way too late.
To put this into perspective, let’s look at how long brussel sprouts last after being frozen.
According to an article published by Forbes, you should expect to eat brussel sprouts within three weeks of thawing them from the freezer.
That means that you shouldn’t store them for more than two months.
If you want to make sure that your brussel sprouts survive longer than that, you’ll need to follow these tips:
In other words, don’t throw away any brussel sprouts because they’re past their best-before date.
Instead, just store them properly and enjoy them while you can!
Air Fried Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussels sprouts cut in half
- 4 bacon slices cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix brussels sprouts with bacon.
- Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl. Whisk until everything is well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl with Brussels sprouts and bacon. Toss to coat evenly.
- Place into the air fryer. Set the air fryer temperature to 360° F (180° C). Cook for 20 minutes, shaking the basket after about 10 minutes.
- Take out of the air fryer. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
I have a true passion for cooking and experimenting with new ingredients, and I have been creating and perfecting recipes for friends and family for years.
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