How to Keep Cauliflower White During Growing

Cauliflower needs to be blanched if you want white heads.

If you didn't purchase or grow a self-wrapping variety of cauliflower that keeps the heads white without any help from you, there is still a way you can have white cauliflower heads. When growing cauliflower in the home garden, you can have white cauliflower, and keep it safe from birds, by blanching the heads. This is a simple step that doesn't take much time.

Things You'll Need

• Soft twine

Instructions

1. Examine the cauliflower heads. They need to be 1 to 2 inches in diameter before you can blanch them.

2. Locate the longest outer leaves that are closest to the forming cauliflower head.

3. Bring the longest leaves around the cauliflower head to cover it. While you hold the leaves in place, have someone else tie them with a piece of soft twine.

4. Check the cauliflower heads every other day to see if they are ready for harvesting.

References

• Maryland Cooperative Extension: Growing Cauliflower
• "Growing Vegetables in Hawaii"; Kathy Oshiro; 1999
• "Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening"; J. I. Rodale, editor; 1999