Most people love broccoli not only for its nutrient-rich profile but also for its delicious flavor. If you are one of those broccoli lovers, then you may try heart & soul to keep broccoli in your daily food chart. But what if you suddenly notice your favorite broccoli is smelling weird? Won’t you be surprised?
Why does broccoli smell like this? This will be the first question appearing in your mind, which is so apparent. Many more questions will appear one by one, like is it ok to have a smelled broccoli or is there any way to lessen the odor. What do you think? What can be the reason? Is there any way to skip it?
Let’s find out the mystery behind it.
Why Does Broccoli Smell?
Broccoli is a very beneficial vegetable that contains plenty of nutrients in it like
- potassium
- selenium
- magnesium
- protein
- Iron
- fiber
- calcium
- folic acid
- vitamin A, B, C, E & K, and many more
This superfood is almost equal to ten vegetables. Thus, every health-conscious person wants to keep it in their daily food chart.
Like any other fresh vegetables, fresh broccoli always smells fresh, but if you get a weird smell from your broccoli, is it ok to have it? What does that smell exactly mean?
Always remember that fresh broccoli never smells weird or bad. It always smells fresh. But by any chance, if you get an unusual smell from your broccoli, two possible things can happen:
- The broccoli is about to go off or
- The broccoli has gone bad already.
As broccoli is nothing but a simple veggie, it is very usual for it to smell when it is about to go off or has gone off already & as a sign, you may notice that unusual or a bad odor during the time. But it’s not necessary that all unusual smells coming out of broccoli mean the two above.
Some people get a sulfur type smell from their broccoli, some get a smell like poop & the others get a rotten egg, the fish-like smell from their broccoli. So is it normal for broccoli to smell like these? What gives broccoli sulfur smell or other smells? What are the reasons that make them smell like these?
Let’s find out in our next segment.
Why Does Broccoli Smell Like Poop?
Many people have complained that they get a poop-like smell from their broccoli after it is cooked. Is it really normal to have such a smell?
It might have happened because of over-cooked or over steamed broccoli. An over-cooked or over steamed broccoli, most of the time, smells like poop.
To avoid such a smell, you need to boil it in a short time & cook it less & quickly. The more you will cook it, the more you will get the smell. This way, you may skip the smell & have your favorite veggie happily.
Why Broccoli Smells Like Rotten Eggs?
Broccoli is a cruciferous family member, which contains higher levels of sulfuric compounds than any other vegetables. Thus, when it starts decomposing, the water’s hydrogen ions start reacting with the sulfur compounds to form low levels of hydrogen sulfuric (H2S) gas, which secretes a rotten egg-like odor.
That is the reason you get a horrible egg-like smell from broccoli when it starts to go off. So better you avoid eating when it smells like that.
Why Does Broccoli Smell Like Fish?
Mostly when broccoli gets rotten, it smells like a fish. Many of you may have noticed very often that the broccoli is smelling like a fish. Bacteria & enzymes of rotten broccoli create such a fishy odor.
And it is felt when the broccoli goes off. So if you get any fishy odor from your broccoli, don’t skimp on throwing it out to the trash as it is no more good to eat.
How To Keep Fresh Broccoli From Smelling?
You might have brought fresh broccoli from the supermarket, but suddenly you notice the smell of broccoli in the house has changed within a day. What can be the reason?
Very simple, the broccoli you have brought at home may look fresh to you, but actually, it isn’t. Thus it smells terrible. It is an indication that the thing is no more good to eat.
Most of the time, broccoli smells weird when it is about to go off or has gone off already, which can be a big issue for your health sooner or later if you take it anyhow. Having bad broccoli can cause some severe health issues such as:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Age-related diseases
Not only broccoli but also rotten veggies can cause some severe health issues, which can even take your breath away. So better you be careful before buying or having vegetables.
Broccoli usually smells when it is no more edible, but sometimes broccoli smells for some other reason. For example, you may get a poop-like smell when you overcook broccoli or get a sulfur type smell from your broccoli.
If your broccoli is smelling, you will have to find the exact reason out at first. Suppose your broccoli smells weird for steaming for a long time or overcooking or boiling too long.
Then make it short. If you want to skip the bad smell, you should cook instead of steaming. But don’t burn for a long time. You can boil it only for 3 to 4 minutes & this way, the greenness & crispness will stay intact. Or you can cook it inside the microwave for 3 minutes. It will make it easier for you.
In this case, these tips will be helpful
Tips:
- Avoid using aluminum pots while cooking broccoli as it reacts with the compound of the broccoli & creates an unwanted smell. Otherwise, it is also responsible for turning broccoli into gray.
- Try to cook broccoli in A stainless steel pot. It doesn’t react with broccoli, so no chance to get any unwanted smell.
- Boil broccoli only for 3-4 minutes, not more than that. It will keep broccoli crisp & fresh & no smell will come out of that.
- Try to cook it less & faster as it will help your broccoli skip the smell.
- You can even take the help of bread as bread absorbs terrible smells. Take some thick chunk of bread & put it into the cooking water. It will absorb the scent immediately.
Does Purple Sprouting Broccoli Smell?
Generally, Purple sprouting broccoli has no distinctive smell. It has a kind of fresh earthy aroma, or you may sometimes get a little sulfur-type smell from it, which is very typical, but if you get too much sulfuric odour of rotten egg or fish smell or any other smell, then you must avoid having that as it is expired. So if you are wondering whether purple sprouting broccoli smells or not, then the answer is YES! It smells.
How To Get Rid Of Broccoli Smell In Fridge?
Naturally, fresh broccoli has no smell of its own, fresh broccoli only smells fresh, but rotten broccoli can smell variously like a rotten egg or fish or something rotten. This rotten smell is powerful, disgusting & unbearable.
If you somehow have rotten broccoli in your fridge, then it will surely make everything smelly. To get rid of this disgusting broccoli smell, you can follow some steps.
Step 1: Throw the rotten broccoli immediately out of the fridge.
Step 2: Clean the place with soapy water & then make a mixture of white vinegar & water & spray it all around the infected area.
Step 3: Then put a small bowl of baking soda to absorb the rest of the smell & keep it overnight.
Step 4: If it still doesn’t work, put a small bowl of fresh coffee grounds instead of baking soda. It will indeed work.
(Frequently Asked Questions) About Broccoli Smell
Is it normal for broccoli to smell?
Broccoli is nothing but a simple vegetable. Like any other vegetables, it goes off after a certain period & starts smelling weird. So it is very normal if your broccoli smells. Just be careful, do not take it when it smells too bad.
How do you stop broccoli from smelling?
Sometimes broccoli smells from overcooking. If you boil or steam broccoli, try not to cook it for a long time. Boil or burn it for a short time, like for 3-4 minutes. It will hold the freshness of your broccoli & stop it from smelling. Or you can put a thick chunk of bread into the bowl. The bread will absorb the smell.
Why do I keep smelling broccoli?
Rotten broccoli has a very disgusting smell. It is tough to forget the scent easily. So it is undeniable after having such a bitter experience, you will get the scent from everything.
Why does broccoli stink after cooking?
Most of the time, broccoli stinks for overcooking. If you cook it for a long time, it starts losing freshness & a bad odor comes out of it. To avoid such an odor, you will have to cook it less & quickly.
Why does broccoli smell like poop?
An overcooked or over steamed broccoli often stinks & smells like poop. Too much steaming or cooking turns the broccoli pale, which makes it smell like poop.
Conclusion
Broccoli is an incompatible veggie that contains more than thousands of nutrients. Its effect on health is beyond description. As it is such an important food that can benefit you in many ways, you need to be careful when taking the food to reach you correctly.
The way new broccoli benefits you, appositely bad broccoli can also harm you. Three indications that are enough to make you understand whether the veggie is good or bad are its texture, smell & taste. So this is very important to know Why does broccoli smell & what to do if it smells.
Always remember being aware while having broccoli or any other veggies will keep you safe & healthy.
