Monster sprouts are coming to a supermarket near you
Growth of the humble sprout has accelerated this year because of the prolonged mild weather.
Now sprouts the size of golf balls are being dug up by farmers and are about to go on sale at supermarket Morrisons.
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Hide AdExperts say the gigantic brassicas are the biggest for a decade.
They have grown 20 per cent larger than a normal year.
The super-size sprouts measure about 40mm wide and 45mm long and each one should weigh about 35g.
Normally, a spout weighs just 15g.
Milder weather and good growing conditions throughout the British summer and autumn have bene blamed for the sprouts’ spurt of growth.
John Clappison, one of Morrisons sprout growers, said: “Our sprout plants have loved the warmer weather.
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Hide Ad“The higher temperatures have made them shoot up and produce the biggest most succulent sprouts that we’ve seen 10 years.”
Average UK temperatures have been as high as 15°C during November.
Steve Ryan, regional manager for Morrisons, said: “Normally, the sprouts we sell are only 30mm in diameter and weigh 15g.
“We expect these bigger sprouts will be highly sought after by some sprout lovers.”
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Hide AdHe said the monster sprouts will still have the same sweet and mild taste and will be the same vivid green colour.
Though large, the sprouts will also have tightly packed leaves and a lovely crunchy texture but will take an extra one to two minutes to cook because of their larger size.
Over 1,000 tonnes of the super-size sprouts will be supplied to Morrisons over the winter.
The sprout season normally runs until the end of March.
Morrisons say their sprouts take only 48 hours to get from field to store, meaning they are some of the freshest available.
Spotlight on sprouts:
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