My Grandpa’s Genius Broccoli Trick Stops the Stink Every Time

Having an Irish mother who grew up in New England, that side of my family is big on cooking with tons of vegetables. She grew up in northern Connecticut, surrounded by tons of farms, farm stands, bountiful gardens, and a constant plethora of gorgeous, fresh produce. 

Whether it was a basic steam or boil or a special roast, my grandfather cooked with vegetables in some form every single day. He allowed the produce to shine, and even if it didn’t seem like he was doing anything special to the vegetables, they somehow tasted the most delicious every single time.

Like so many expert home cooks, he had special tricks up his sleeve for making the cooking process more enjoyable. One that I still swear by today is his trick for eliminating the smell of cruciferous vegetables wafting through the house, because if you’re boiling or steaming cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli, that smell can linger for days. 

How My Grandpa Elminated Cruciferous Odors

While science is certainly at play here, this simple and practical method definitely isn’t rocket science. All you have to do to eliminate these stubborn odors is soak one or two slices of white bread with white vinegar or fresh lemon juice until it’s fairly saturated, and then place it in the pot with your vegetables. Don’t worry: The bread won’t impact the way the vegetables cook. It’s purely there to trap and eliminate odors.

If you are steaming vegetables, place the bread on top of the vegetables beforehand, so it can trap the steam as it rises. If you are boiling them, place the slices of bread on top just as the water begins to boil, so it can absorb the steam as it rises to escape into the air. Right before draining the vegetables, use a small strainer or spider skimmer to remove and discard the bread. A spatula or ladle works well, too). But don’t use anything sharp like tongs or a fork, as they can cause the bread to fall apart, creating an unnecessary mess in your pot of freshly cooked vegetables.

The Science Behind the Trick

As cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts cook, the distinct smell they release are alkaline-based sulfur compounds. The acidity of the vinegar reacts with those alkaline-based odors to neutralize and reduce the smell while the porous nature of the bread helps to trap and absorb those odors before they can spread through the air. Those odors don’t stand a chance against this dynamic duo, and this trick makes both the cooking process and the smell of your home much more pleasant.