Purple Cauliflower Delivery or Pickup

Cauliflower is believed to have been originally cultivated in the Northeastern Mediterranean region during the first century. During the Middle Ages, cauliflower was predominately grown on the island of Cyprus. In the late 13th century, cauliflower was introduced to Europe, and then brought to North America in the mid-19th century. As white cauliflower began to dominate the culinary scene, purple cauliflower became obscure. In the early 21st century, chefs began adding this pretty vegetable to their menus, and today, purple cauliflower is quite popular.

Surprise your family by serving purple cauliflower at your next meal. High in antioxidants, pretty to look at, and quite flavorful, purple cauliflower makes a wonderful side dish.

All cauliflower, whether white, orange, or purple, belongs to the Brassicaceae family. Other common plants in this family include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. Purple cauliflower contains large amounts of the antioxidant anthocyanin, which gives purple cauliflower its signature color.

When you eat purple cauliflower, you'll enjoy the sweet and nutty flavor found in white or orange cauliflower; it just has a pretty purple color. The texture is also the same as white cauliflower, with firm florets that hold up well to steaming, baking, and in stir-fries.

Although purple cauliflower has a lovely purple hue on the outside, the stem and core still retain the whiteness found in white cauliflower. You'll notice a slightly grassy scent when you smell purple cauliflower, and it rarely has the bitterness that you sometimes find in white cauliflower.

Variations of purple cauliflower come with names such as Silicon Violet, Violet Queen, Purple Cape, and Graffiti. Chefs enjoy cooking and serving purple cauliflower due to its striking color, and they often intermix purple cauliflower with white or other colored cauliflower. Purple cauliflower grows best in the fall or early spring seasons when the daytime temperatures aren't as hot as they are in the summer months.

Enjoy the convenience of having purple cauliflower delivered to your home when you order it through Instacart! Download the Instacart app or shop for your purple cauliflower via the Instacart website, and an Instacart shopper will deliver it to you.

While you may occasionally see purple cauliflower in the supermarket, you'll generally find it at your local farmers market or specialty grocery store. Choose heads of purple cauliflower that look firm and are free from black dots or mold. The cauliflower should still have a short piece of the stem attached with green leaves wrapped around the head. Be sure the leaves are not wilted, and when you smell the cauliflower, it should have a slight grassy smell and not a sulfuric odor. Add some of this tasty vegetable to your cart, and have an Instacart shopper deliver today!

When you bring your head of purple cauliflower home, don't wash it until you're ready to use it. Simply store it in a plastic bag with a few holes poked in it so the cauliflower has air and won't mold. When you're ready to eat the purple cauliflower, slice off the amount you wish to use with a sharp knife, and return the rest to the plastic bag. When stored properly, purple cauliflower should last for 10 to 12 days.

If the purple cauliflower begins to show a few brown spots that aren't molded, you can still eat it. The brown spots, while a bit unsightly, are a result of oxidation, and in general, they won't affect the flavor or taste of the purple cauliflower. You can just remove the dark spots and eat the purple cauliflower as you normally would.