Do Brussels Sprouts Have To Be Refrigerated?

Brussels sprouts are a controversial vegetable and a lot of people are unsure about how to store them to keep them fresh and sweet for as long as possible.

Brussels sprouts should be refrigerated. Although you can keep them for a couple of days at room temperature, they will quickly start to deteriorate and lose their flavor. Brussels sprouts should be kept at around 30 degrees F, meaning that the fridge is the perfect place for them. They will last between 5 days and 2 weeks in the fridge.

In this article, we’ll be checking out more about how Brussels sprouts should be stored for maximum longevity, so you know how to handle these vegetables.

Do You Have To Keep Brussels Sprouts In The Fridge?

Yes, ideally, Brussels sprouts should be kept in the fridge. They won’t go off immediately if you store them at room temperature, but they will quickly start to shrivel and lose their sweetness. Putting them in the fridge as soon as you get home will help them to last much better.

How Should You Store Brussels Sprouts In The Fridge?

Before storing your Brussels sprouts, it’s a good idea to sort through them. You can take this opportunity to remove any sprouts that are squishy, badly bruised, or that have an unpleasant smell. These are going off and will affect your other sprouts, making the whole batch decay more quickly.

You can also remove any yellow or black-spotted leaves from the rest of the sprouts. These leaves will need to be taken off when you are ready to cook the sprouts anyway, so you might as well remove them now.

However, you should avoid washing the sprouts before you store them. Sprouts need to be kept in fairly dry conditions, and excess water on them when you put them in the fridge will encourage them to decay more quickly.

If the sprouts are moist when you buy them, make sure you pat them dry before you put them in the fridge.

When your sprouts are ready, place them in the crisper drawer of the fridge. This is the coolest part, and it will keep them fresh for as long as possible. If you have bought sprouts on a stalk and they don’t fit in the crisper drawer, consider cutting the stalk in half, or placing them on the shelf just above, which is the second coolest place.

Note that you should keep foods that produce a lot of ethylene gas (such as apples and bananas) away from Brussels sprouts.

How Long Do Brussels Sprouts Last In The Fridge?

This depends on whether you have bought the sprouts on the stalk or not. Loose sprouts will generally last for around a week in the fridge, sometimes a little longer if they are very fresh. Sprouts on a stalk can last for as long as 2 weeks.

It is important to note, though, that the flavor of the sprouts will deteriorate even if they are still good to eat. They will become bitter, losing their natural sweetness, and this makes them far less enjoyable to eat.

You should therefore aim to buy sprouts as fresh as possible and use them as soon as you can, rather than allowing them to linger in your fridge. This is true whatever storage conditions you provide; old sprouts simply do not taste as good.

You can tell whether Brussels sprouts are fresh by looking for strong, green outer leaves. These should be tightly furled around the center, with minimal yellowing.

Do You Have To Keep Cooked Brussels Sprouts In The Fridge?

Cooked Brussels sprouts should also be refrigerated. These should be placed in an airtight container, such as a Tupperware, and stored low down in the fridge.

Cooked Brussels sprouts will usually only last for around 2 to 3 days in the fridge, so make sure you aim to use them up quickly. They may keep longer, but the flavor will deteriorate fast.

Please also check out the related articles on our website like  Do Suppositories Need To Be Refrigerated?, Do Brita Filters Have To Be Refrigerated?  and Do Brownies Need To Be Refrigerated?

Conclusion

You should avoid keeping Brussels sprouts at room temperature; refrigerating them leads to much better results. Even when they are kept in the fridge, Brussels sprouts should be used up quickly. Although they can last for up to 2 weeks with proper storage, they will start to become bitter and lose their flavor after just a few days.