Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are a cabbage variant in the Brassicaceae family, which also includes cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and mustard greens. Brussels sprouts resemble miniature cabbages and are the axillary buds of the plant, growing along the stem. The plant prefers moist soils and cold weather climates. The sprouts are harvested at a one- to two-inch diameter, and one plant is capable of producing up to three pounds of sprouts per growing season. The Brussels sprout is named after Brussels, Belgium, yet evidence of its origin is from northern Europe in the eighteenth century.