Why is My Cauliflower Yellow? 4 Reasons & How to Avoid Them

Cauliflower is one of the best sources of vitamin C, as the many antioxidants only add to your healthy diet. Cauliflower is just as rich in nutrients as its fellow green vegetables; kale, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, and brussels.

However, some people don’t think Cauliflower is as healthy as its greener cousins, specifically because of its white base. But sometimes your cauliflower might start turning yellow. Read on to learn more on why is my cauliflower yellow.

Why is My Cauliflower Yellow

Cauliflower usually starts yellowing when exposed to the sun for too long. If you leave it in the sun for too long the flavours might change. So really, the best way to prevent the discoloration of your cauliflower is to keep it out of the sun. 

You need to tie the green leaves growing on its sides over its head. Like a bow. You can use string to tie the knot or a simple rubber band.

How to Keep Your Cauliflower from Turning Yellow

People generally don’t want their cauliflowers turning yellow. The discoloration of your cauliflower doesn’t affect its properties as much, but it is less appealing to the eye. However, it still tastes the same, if not better at times.  

Researchers firmly believe that cauliflower is good for your health. It can improve memory, contributes to stronger bones, and helps in weight loss because of high fibre, which slows down the digestion and leads to feeling full.

There’s nothing wrong with your cauliflower if it turns yellow. The only reason why you’re searching for ways to keep that from happening is because it doesn’t look appetizing. But even if it doesn’t look very appetizing, it still has that regular cauliflower flavour. 

The yellow cauliflower also comes with plenty of unique benefits as well.

Yellow Cauliflower is famous for its higher beta-carotene, which supports eye health. If you have weak eye-sight, or you use your phone too often, because let’s face it you might be reading this on your phone as well, then yellow cauliflower might be what you need. 

If a cauliflower starts to yellow, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gone bad or that it wouldn’t be good enough to eat. But just by looking at yellowish cauliflower on your plate, you certainly wouldn’t want to eat it?

To keep your cauliflower from turning yellow you can follow these helpful tips:  

1. Tie The Leaves Over Its Head

See those green side leaves? Tie those leaves over the head of your cauliflower. You can tie it with a string, rubber band, twine, or if you’re feeling really special, a bow. The best time for you to tie the knot is when the cauliflower is 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter. 

Don’t forget about the knot, you need to check every few days to make sure the leaves stay on the head. 

Allow room for the cauliflower to mature but don’t leave it too loose. Ideally, the head will reach around 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter before it starts to spread. 

2. Higher PH Levels 

There’s something called the pH (potential of hydrogen) levels in water, it scales from 0 to 14. 0 is highly acidic and 14 is highly alkaline.

Cauliflower needs high levels of pH in order to gain its true flavour and colour. The acidity of the water needs to be around 5.5-5.75. 

You can add lemon or vinegar in small amounts, (2-3 tablespoons) in your water to keep the entire head fresh. 

3. Shade Your Cauliflowers 

When exposed to the sun for too long the cauliflower curds tend to yellow and fall apart. Intense sun doesn’t necessarily suit cauliflower. 

If you insist on growing cauliflower in your garden during a hot summer, then you should put up a shade in your garden, right above the cauliflower. 

It can become a designated place for your cauliflowers to grow without being exposed too exposed  to the sun. You can easily grow them, under the shade during the scorching hours of the afternoon.

So if you’re in a place with unnaturally hot weather, the cauliflower is not the vegetable for your garden. However, tomatoes lend themselves very nicely to hot weather. But be careful, they are quick to attract bugs and pests. Here is a quick guide on how you can prevent that.

4. Protect Them from Bugs

By now, you must have calculated how harvesting cauliflower is not for the faint of heart.

When you harvest any crop, you have to take measures to ensure that pests don’t ruin your crop. 

Two of the more common pests found in cauliflower include cabbageworm, and flea beetles. You can get rid of them by spraying water mixed with neem oil. Every morning, you need to make the rounds  to inspect and remove cabbageworms.

Learn more in a similar category: Why Are My Peppers Turning Black?

Summary

A yellow cauliflower isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as yellowing cauliflower can be good in some instances. 

Yellow cauliflower doesn’t necessarily bear bad news; it just means it has been out in the sun for too long. Cauliflower is more of a cool sunny weather type vegetable, and so it doesn’t work well with excessive sunlight.

Yellowing cauliflower can be unappealing and unappetizing but it is very healthy, it has the same flavour and holds the same rich nutrients. Some even claim that it improves your eye-sight.  

Luckily, you can keep your cauliflower from yellowing, and this article will go over how you can do that. This article is to give tips and knowledge on how to keep your cauliflower from turning yellow. 

Frequently Asked Questions

We care to answer all the varying questions running through your smart mind. These are the related searches with this topic:

Why Did My Cauliflower Turn Yellow While Cooking?

Refrain from using aluminium or iron pots while cooking. The chemicals in Cauliflower can react with iron or aluminium. When you cook in these pots and pans, your perfectly white cauliflower will turn yellow. It’s edible, though, so don’t need to worry.

How Long Can I Store My Cauliflower?

If you plan on using this cauliflower for a longer time, don’t wash it before storing it in the fridge. The curds will fall and the leaves will wilt, rendering the entire cauliflower useless. Only wash it when you take it out of the fridge, you need to wash it before cooking it. This way your cauliflower will last three to five days.

Can You Eat Overripe Cauliflower?

If you have kept your cauliflower for a while, it curds will turn a little purple. While it is perfectly safe to eat, (it’s not poisonous, don’t worry) you can sometimes detect an odd flavour. To stop it from turning more purple, you shouldn’t cook it. If you cook it further the “odd” flavour will only get worse. 

Do I Need to Put a Shed?

It is crucial for your white cauliflowers that you put a shade over a specific area in your garden so your cauliflower can shift there when it’s the mid-hours of a humid afternoon. It needs the cooler atmosphere or it will start yellowing, which is counterproductive.

Here is a quick Youtube video to help you along with harvesting your cauliflower so it doesn’t turn yellow.