Last year, we didn't top our Brussels sprouts because it was our first year growing and we wanted to try the simplest method.  But Throwback at Trapper Creek reminded me of the possibility, and even though it's really much later than you should top the plants, I decided to try lopping the tips off a few.

The theory behind topping Brussels sprouts is that if you cut off the growing tip, the plant stops elongating (and making new Brussels sprouts) and puts that energy into plumping up the sprouts that have already started.  This is a bit like the way you might top tomatoes at a certain point so they ripen fruits faster rather than setting lots of little tomatoes that won't have time to fully form before the frost.

In the case of Brussels sprouts, all of the sprouts will keep enlarging until extremely cold weather sets in, and it's true that the plants will also make sprouts in the early spring if they over-winter.  However, we found last year that the over-wintered sprouts were pretty damaged and only moderately worth eating, while the fall and early winter sprouts were delectable.  So even though topping Brussels sprouts reduces yields by about 30%, I figured it was worth a try if the 70% we get are much higher quality.

I wasn't entirely sure it was worth topping so late, though, so I only hit plants sporadically.  The tops came into the kitchen where I sauteed them in a bit of oil with salt and pepper and relished the first taste of Brussels sprouts in months.  A forecast of delicacies to come!