It’s true. It takes 47 seconds to prepare broccoli for the steamer.
I know this because I timed myself preparing broccoli to be steamed. Why are you looking at me like that? You would do something this geeky too if you heard people say, “making healthy food takes too long to make” as much as I do. I figure, I can keep saying, “does not, huh-uh, does not” or I can actually time myself making healthy food and prove people wrong with a stop watch.
Yeah, I’m a weirdo.
The good news? Timing myself preparing broccoli didn’t take long because preparing broccoli doesn’t take long. Okay then. Plus my 12 year old thought it was fun to use his stop watch to time me prepping broccoli. He only asked twice, “Wait, why are we doing this?”
I felt this information was worth documenting as sometimes even I don’t feel like I have the time to make healthy food. Sometimes I feel that it would take less effort and time to slap down something less than stellar from the freezer section of the store. Sometimes I don’t want to go to the trouble to put something nourishing on the table. Me. The one who knows the truth that healthy eating doesn’t take extra energy or time. Me, the one who has already proved this truth many times over. Me, the one who loves to cook.
Now that you and I have learned the 47 second truth, neither of us can fall back on “I just don’t have the energy to make anything healthy tonight.” Even if we are compromising by putting something on the table that is less than stellar (hey, I do it sometimes too when I’m in a pinch or when we just want a fun treat). That’s fine. Throw down a take-and-bake pizza or whatever. Just take the additional 47 seconds to steam broccoli or make a salad to go with the meal.
If you really want to save time and energy, prep your broccoli ahead of time, put it in a baggie, then dump it in your steamer at dinner time. Like this:
Once you’ve done that, you can pull it out of the fridge and take the remaining 8 seconds of the 47 seconds total broccoli prep time to pour it into your steamer and turn on the burner. Seriously people. It takes more energy to do all the math on this than it does to actually just go prepare the broccoli.
If you’re wondering the specifics of my 47 second broccoli preparation process, it is as follows:
- Get out pot, run water into the pot, place it on the stove.
- Set the metal steamer into the pot of water.
- Get the broccoli out of the fridge.
- Wash the broccoli under running water.
- Cut the broccoli off the stem directly into the steamer on the stove.
- Put the lid on the pot , turn on the burner, and walk away.
Boom. 47 seconds.
Not that you haven’t already thought of this, but using frozen broccoli is just as good for you and takes even less time. (Skip steps 4 and 5 above. Pour frozen broccoli directly into steamer. You’re welcome.)
I believe we can all agree that preparing broccoli (or other veggies) is incredibly fast and easy and none of us has any excuse to not make them, serve them, and eat them. Now how many of you are going to get out the stop watch tonight as you make your vegetables?
Lana says
No stop watch here! I buy the two pound bag of prepped florets at Sam’s for $3.28. Out of the fridge and into the pot in no time at all plus I can make a broccoli salad in nothing flat too! The first time I bought that big bag for only the two of us I was not sure we could use it all fast enough but we never throw any of it out.
Karen says
If you are using raw vegetables, they really should be ‘washed’ before the chopping and the longest thing about washing vegetables and fruit is the soaking. Washing helps reduce exposure to chemicals, bacteria, dirt and parasites……. I do that prep ahead most of the time if at all possible so when I’m in a rush, I don’t have to worry about that piece of it.
Jen says
I soak all store purchased produce in a dab of my non-toxic dish soap and apple cider vinegar, followed by a few rinses. It’s a pain, but I just scrub the sink when I get home from the store, and wash it all at once. Then everything is ready to go when I need to use it.
I usually just do a water rise (if that) on the herbs and produce we grow ourselves, because I know there’s nothing toxic on it. Perhaps just a little dirt and/or insects, which never hurt anyone. :) In fact, I believe it strengthens our immune systems.
Cheryle says
Washing fresh vegetables is what takes the most time. Although I’ve never actually timed it, I don’t feel that 47 seconds is long enough to wash fresh vegetables that have been handled by numerous people from the time they are picked until I purchase them.
Grace says
That’s wonderful, now how do you make the steamed broccoli taste better? :) Any seasoning suggestions?
Laura says
We like it straight – just as it is. But adding some butter and salt is awesome. :)
Jen says
Sometimes, instead of traditional steaming, I’ll put a little homemade chicken broth in the bottom of a pan (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) and lightly simmer/steam the broccoli directly in the broth. Super yummy!!! And we ALWAYS add a dab of butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, as Laura suggests. Butter and salt make any veggie taste better! :)
Christine says
This post was hilarious. Thank you for helping me start my day with a smile.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
If you’re a geek, then so am I because I love reading all of this stuff on your blog. So, you may be a geek, but you’re not the only one. We used to eat out because I had forgotten to prepare dinner and we thought that going out was faster. Once our income changed and eating out wasn’t an option, I realized that it was actually faster to stay home and cooked, as you have demonstrated many times on this blog. Frozen broccoli is not only faster, but cheaper. I prefer fresh, but that’s not always an option. Thanks for the continued encouragement!
Angi says
Broccoli has always taken the longest to prepare compared to any other fresh veggies I prepare. Could someone help me out here? I break all the broccoli tops off and soak in vinegar water. Meanwhile, I cut up the stems and discard (or save for broth) the fibrous stems. I am part of a CSA so the veggies I get are all organic (and local) so there are always some worms/bugs on the broccoli. Many times, I tediously go through it a make sure there are no creepy crawlies left. I usually still find a few even after the vinegar soak. I know it doesn’t hurt to eat them, but I can’t bring myself to let this go. What do you all do? I once heard you can do a boil for a minute, then they all come off. Then you rinse and steam or cook however you want. But this just adds more prep time!