How long to cook sprouts

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published 25 December 2019

For all that there are many fans of Brussels sprouts, there are plenty of haters. But perhaps it’s because they’ve never been served a well-cooked sprout. Overdo these winter veggies and they can smell unpleasant, be mushy in texture, and look unappealing to boot.

How to avoid this nasty fate for these healthy Christmas staples? Give up on cutting a cross into them, cut down on the cooking time, and go for even sizes. Oh, and follow the steps below. If that doesn’t convert a few never-sprouters, nothing will.

For more recipes (including for roasties and veg), see our dedicated hub. And don't miss all our Christmas buys, advice and how tos.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 4 minutes

Ingredients:

375g sprouts, base trimmed and any yellow leaves removed

Method:

1. Cut any large sprouts in half so sizes are even.

2. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add sprouts.

3. Simmer for around four minutes or until tender. Drain and serve immediately.

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Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor writing for websites, national newspapers, and magazines. She’s spent most of her journalistic career specialising in homes – long enough to see fridges become smart, decorating fashions embrace both minimalism and maximalism, and interiors that blur the indoor/outdoor link become a must-have. She loves testing the latest home appliances, revealing the trends in furnishings and fittings for every room, and investigating the benefits, costs and practicalities of home improvement. It's no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house revamper. For Realhomes.com, Sarah reviews coffee machines and vacuum cleaners, taking them through their paces at home to give us an honest, real life review and comparison of every model.