Christmas must-haves: sprouts

New varieties of sprout are helping to conquer the Christmas staple's past image problem.

Christmas is well and truly round the corner judging by the supermarket displays groaning under the weight of sprouts.

Last December we munched our way through 750 million of the little veggies according to loveyourgreens.co.uk. And a whopping 9,762 tonnes of sprouts were sold.

Many people from my generation were almost put sprouts for life through our parents' (arguably inherited) habit of overcooking them into a soggy, smelly mess.

But this Marmite of winter veg is experiencing something of a renaissance. And that’s partly down to, ahem, improved cooking methods.

It’s also due to a profusion of varieties. The flower sprout, a half-Brussel sprout, half kale hybrid has won many plaudits, including the variety grown at Manor Fresh in Spalding scooping Best New Variety Edible at this year’s Grower of the Year Awards. You'll find flower sprouts on sale exclusively at M&S.

You’ll also spot red Brussels sprouts on sale in many supermarkets. These are milder and sweeter than their green siblings. They also contain higher levels of Vitamin C than greens – another incentive to try and persuade children to try them. Apparently they’re best steamed rather than boiled.
How do you feel about sprouts - love them or hate them? Do you do anything different with them? Share your thoughts in the Comments box below.

More festive essentials

Chestnuts – get ‘em while they’re hot
How panettone became a Christmas staple
Three top Christmas puddings