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So I got a bunch of what I thought were locally grown organic brussel sprouts from the local coop the other day. They came in an unlabeled zip lock bag, which usually means small local farm. I cooked em up with some butter and oregano. I under cooked them a little bit, but I usually prefer them that way. When I went to eat them, I began to notice that they had a mild chemically taste. It burned in my nose and the back of my mouth a little bit. It was a sensation very similar to the one caused by ammonia or bleach fumes. I hadn't washed them as thoroughly as I perhaps should (there were black spots on them I hadn't noticed before, but the cooking brought them out).

So my question is, what did I just eat? Do brussel sprouts naturally have some ammonia or something similar I might have been tasting (and why don't I remember tasting it when I've eaten them in the past)? Did I just down some lovely pesticides and herbicides? Could those black spots been a fungus that was producing something unpleasant? What's the deal?

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Were the sprouts kinda yellowish? If so, that combined with the spots is a sign that the outer leaves are dying (and possibly the whole thing) ... it could be any number of things. I normally manage to kill my cabbages through over-watering, but I had a bad issue with cutworms last year, too. – Joe Jan 1 '11 at 5:50
I know you may not remember the exact way they tasted, but there is an important difference between actually feeling a "chemical smell" and only getting a pungent feeling which irritates your mucosa. The second one may be simple hotness; by now, it has been bred out of the big commercial varieties of plants not supposed to be hot, but my grandma's garden often produces vegetables with stronger taste than intended, including hot peppers (of non-chilli varieties) and bitter eggplants and cucumbers. Brussel sprouts are brassica, which are known for pungency (e.g. in mustard, turnips). – rumtscho♦ Sep 14 '12 at 16:31

3 Answers

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Brussels sprouts are in the brassica family, so you can get that family of strong cabbagey/spicey/sulfurous flavors and aromas. You probably know what that tastes like though, so I'm assuming it wasn't that. I've seen those black spots plenty of times, and I generally trim them, but I don't think they would be likely to give off a strong aroma. Once I had a situation like this where a vegetable tasted of kerosene, which I assumed was a cross-contamination and dumped it. That's what I would recommend if this ever occurs again. If in doubt, throw it out.

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+1 for "If in doubt, throw it out". Of course, I'm in the camp that believes Brussels sprouts always taste doubtful, and therefore should always end up in the trash can rather than my plate, but I'm aware that there are people who don't agree... :) – Marti Dec 31 '10 at 20:09
@Marti - I blanch, then pan-fry the half-cut sprouts with bacon. Makes 'em taste pretty good! – sdg Jan 1 '11 at 20:58
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@sdg- You could pan-fry-in-bacon an old sock and it would taste pretty good. Bacon is magic. – Sobachatina Jan 10 '11 at 16:11
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@Sobachatina - mmm, sock bacon... :-) – sdg Jan 10 '11 at 17:33
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I have a strong suspicion it's not the product but the chemicals in the bag manufacturing process. I came to this thread looking for similar experiences. I have found people complaining of chemical taste transfer from ziplock bags to self prepared sandwiches. In my experience, It's usually from ziplock-type bagged products in the thicker louder noise-making bags. I have returned products because of the strong chemical taste. Sunflower seeds, shelled pistachioes, raisins...anything in direct contact to the packaging. Maybe I have a bionic tongue!

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You should always wash well.

Cut a bit off then end, and You should also peel a few layers away. This gets rid of the black spots, dry leaves, dirt and any pesticides or chemicals. The sprouts you cook should be clean, green and squeaky

Cabbages and such peel well, you can get any chemical pesticides off them easy.

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