Free Protein?
I’m not much of one to care about seeing caterpillars on my plate after eating broccoli, I figure it’s free protein. I’d rather see this on my plate than not see it and have broccoli full of chemicals. Of course you can use “organic” methods of keeping them away, but I don’t bother with those either or my wrens might go hungry.
Have you ever finished eating your broccoli and seen this on your plate? What did you think?
Not my favorite thing to see, but yes, I have seen that. And it makes me wonder what I didn’t see.
:)
But, like you said, it beats the heck out of eating chemicals.
I have started soaking my broccoli for 20 minutes before cooking …..it puts my mind a bit more at ease.
to Sue's comment
I usually soak mine in salt water and the caterpillars let go. But this year I have an unusually high amount of caterpillars AND aphids. I rinsed and soaked and did everything I could think of, but I know we ate some. As long as my husband doesn’t know, it’s ok! If he even saw one tiny creature he wouldn’t eat my broccoli ever again.
to Corrie's comment
I’m in this boat too, as long as my husband doesn’t see it is allll good!
to Jaspenelle's comment
Yuh huh. Honestly, it grosses me out. And kind of ticks me off if I’ve gone through the extra step of soaking in salt water and they STILL hide in there.
to kristin @ going country's comment
Yes, I’ve seen this and I am really careful to pick over and clean my veggies as this is very unappetizing. Makes me wish I had chickens to feed the worms to.
-Brenda
to Sense of Home's comment
We make the protein statement as well. I save all these unfortunate critters for my hens. it’s a win-win. =)
to Annette's comment
Not too much freaks me out these days. We eat the worms in the broccoli and the cabbage. I’m not very particular about getting them out. I don’t use anything to kill them either.
to The Mom's comment
I often find little buggies crawling out of the harvest basket – doesn’t bother me TOO much, but i think i’d find it unpleasant to notice an actual squish in the mouth. Blecht. I try and pick them off to toss to the chickies.
to Miranda's comment
It would probably gross me out for a minute then I would think “oh well, at least I didn’t eat it”.
One time I was eating a fruit salad under a tree and I looked down to find an inch worm in there! I took the bug out and finished the salad.
to Terry's comment
I try and cut my pieces small and soak them well. I don’t think my family cares too much, but the thought grosses me out! I’m working on it!
to Stone Soup's comment
Many years ago me and my husband were eating at Red Lobster and in his salad was one of these little guys. He couldn’t eat a salad out at a restaurant for a long time after that.
Blessings
Diane
to Diane's comment
oh yeah! I will have to try the salt water soak as mentioned in another comment earlier. I soak things in water, but some critters still sneak through. I am still not thrilled when I see them on my plate, but I can deal with it. Like you said, it is better than chemicals. I am not sure my husband would be too thrilled. Right now we seem to have a revolving door with guests and I really don’t think they would be too keen on finding something other than salad on their plate.
to Sincerely, Emily's comment
I actually ate one by accident. I had taken a “bitter” bit and then as I went on, I found a caterpillar and realized that must have been what I had eaten. Yeah … I had a serious gross out moment, but I got over it. :-)
to Rhonda's comment
I recently found one at the top of my lunch salad (my own greens) at work. I thought the same thing – and I also thought I’d save it for my chickens when I got home.
to Susan's comment
It is when……I don’t see one…..at the end of the meal that I know I have probably eaten the little buggers……ce la vie…..
to amy's comment
In my climate, caterpillars can get out of control fairly quickly. I used a BT spray once this year, and then managed them by hand if I could see them.
I was taking a cooking class a few years ago and the instructor told me that he never bothered washing his produce if it was organic. So he cooked up some romanesco and fed it to us, and I immediately noticed that it tasted awful. Had to spit it out. It was totally infested with aphids. Now aphids, they taste absolutely disgusting! Grrroooosss!! !I always make sure to was my produce well now!
to amy manning's comment
snap. Happened to me this summer in spite of very thorough washing!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67947636@N00/5145682211/
to nic@nipitinthebud's comment
Yeah, we joke at home that you probably can’t eat organic AND be entirely a vegetarian, as for sure you will eat some bugs!
Row cover works great for preventing worms on broccoli early in the season, but I took it off once they grew too tall and now just check closely and hope for the best. At least the fall harvest are smaller side shoots and they’re easier to look through!
to Sara's comment
…Oh good lord, you’re killin’ me here Miss Chiot! I get the whole ‘organic’ concept and that you’re happy to see the worm and all but that right there would send me hurling! lol…
…Bon appetit! ;o)
…Blessings…
to tj's comment
The only thing worse than seeing a worm on your plate is seeing half a worm on your plate.
to Tommy's comment
I was eating green peppers from my uncles garden one summer and stopped just in time to see a small worm pop his head out of a hole… that’s the exact same thing he said to me!
to Kelly's comment
Oh barf!
to MAYBELLINE's comment
We had a couple of these crawl out of our salad this summer. Surprisingly, it was the kids who weren’t too excited about it. I wasn’t thrilled, but thought that I wouldn’t trade lettuce from the garden with a a few caterpillars for lettuce from the store.
to Wendy's comment
Yea, but if it’s still on your plate when you’ve finished then you missed out on the free protein.
to Sande's comment
Very true!
to Susy's comment
slurp.
Just melt cheese over the broccoli….nobody will ever notice….
to girlgonegardening's comment
not on broccoli, but once this summer i made blt’s & nick looked down just in time to see a slug on his lettuce right before he took a big bite of it!
to deedee's comment
GROSS!
to Kate's comment
[…] critter that made its way into the house. I had to laugh because I had just read a post over at Chiot’s Run called “Free Protein” and here it is Free […]
to What was on my plate yesterday | Sincerely, Emily's comment
Yep, I just push it aside and keep on eating. I once had a Basil plant in my apartment and would grab a leaf to munch on here and there. One time, I found that a particular leaf was quite bitter. The undersides of all leaves were COVERED in aphids. What doesn’t kill you makes you…more careful.
to Marcia's comment