Costco Broccoli Florets - Kirkland Signature (Organic)
Most of us can probably use a little bit more veggies in our lives. Costco’s Broccoli Florets are tasty, nutritious, and priced right. If you like broccoli, these are definitely worth a grab on your next trip to Costco.
Kirkland SIgnature Frozen Broccoli Florets
Costco sells a 4lb bag of frozen Broccoli Florets for $6.99. The broccoli can be found in the freezer section near the other frozen fruits, brussel sprouts, and the smoothie packs. This broccoli is USDA organic and contains no preservatives. They are individually quick frozen to preserve their quality and freshness.
The price per pound breaks down to $1.75. This is a fantastic price for organic broccoli florets. Most grocery stores sell a 10 or 12oz bag of nonorganic frozen broccoli at this price or even more.
One of the issues with purchasing food from Costco is properly storing food that can’t be eaten within a few days. The nice thing about this item is that the broccoli is packaged in 4 individual 1 pound bags. When you open the package the timer doesn’t start on all 4 pounds of broccoli but instead just 1 pound at a time. This makes the broccoli much more manageable to eat and enjoy without feeling rushed.
If I were to have one complaint with this bag of broccoli it would be the size. 4 pounds is a lot of broccoli and the bag is big. Costco does provide the option to store the broccoli separately in their individual 1 pound bags, but for most Costco shoppers, freezer space is valuable.
Costco Broccoli First Impression
I mentioned this earlier, but the individual bags make this Costco broccoli much more manageable. You can eat what you need, and you don’t have to worry about freezer burn which can alter the taste or texture of the broccoli.
The broccoli florets themselves look great. The florets have a nice dark green color and the stems are bright green. This is textbook-looking broccoli and they appear very fresh.
If there is anything to complain about with the broccoli is that there is quite a bit of size discrepancy between pieces. Some of the broccoli florets are on the larger end and there are some that are floret pieces that are half the size of the others or even less. Depending on your cooking method, the smaller pieces have the potential to overcook.
Kirkland Signature Organic Broccoli Cooking Options
There are of course many ways to cook broccoli florets. Costco offers two methods to cook their Kirkland Signature Broccoli. The first is to microwave the entire 1 pound bag without piercing, opening or venting the bag. Simply microwave on high for 5 minutes and the broccoli will be ready to eat. The problem is that eating one pound of broccoli at a time can be tough. And it may stink up your whole kitchen due to the high amount of sulfur compounds that are in broccoli.
The second recommended option is to boil the entire 1 pound of Costco broccoli in 2 cups of water. This takes the same amount of time as the microwave at 3-5 minutes, but you can avoid the unappetizing broccoli smell.
You also don’t have to cook the entire bag if you decide to boil the broccoli. I like to just boil the broccoli that I need while placing the rest back into the freezer. I can control portions better and minimize waste. In my opinion, the option to not cook the entire bag should be listed somewhere on the packaging.
Costco does not list this method on the packaging, but you can also cook broccoli in the air fryer. You can cook them from frozen at 400° for 10 minutes with a little bit of oil and optional seasoning. If they need a little more time, give them a shake and cook until heated through. The broccoli florets will come out roasted, crispy, and flavorful.
Pro Tip: Pour a teaspoon of water into the air fryer to steam the broccoli and help prevent some burning.
Costco Broccoli Review
For this review, I cooked this broccoli 3 different ways – boiling, steaming, and air frying. Each method gave the broccoli a distinct look, texture, and taste. Regardless of your cooking methods, broccoli will pair well with lighter healthier foods such as Costco’s fresh chicken or even Costco’s frozen salmon.
Steaming
Steaming is probably the best method of cooking broccoli florets. The steaming process preserves as many nutrients in the broccoli as possible which for some people is the entire point of eating broccoli. If you are going to eat the food, you might as well reap the benefits.
If you don’t have a steamer, don’t worry! You can create a DIY steamer using a bowl, a plate, and your microwave.
Boiling
Boiling is quick and easy to make broccoli, but the hot water will leach a lot of nutrients out of the broccoli. The taste is fine, but the more optimal cooking method will be by steaming.
Air Fryer
Broccoli actually benefits significantly from the air fryer in terms of taste. I didn’t do it for this review, but I like to season the broccoli with some olive oil, garlic powder, and a bbq rub. With the air fryer, you are maximizing taste and less likely to lose the healthy nutrients that broccoli brings to the table.
Nutritional Information
This is an easy one. Broccolis are healthy for you and low in calories. Each serving is about 5 broccoli florets and each 1 pound bag contains approximately 4 servings. Each serving is 25 calories with 0g of fat, 5g of carbs, and 3g of protein.
The only ingredient is organic broccoli florets.
Final Thoughts
I love these Costco Broccoli Florets. This is one of those absolute Costco steals at $6.99 for the entire 4-pound bag of organic broccoli. Most grocery stores will probably charge 30-40% more for this same amount of nonorganic broccoli. A great healthy food at a great healthy price.
Costco Food Database User Reviews
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Greg Larkin is the founder and managing editor of Costco Food Database, the premiere site for honest takes on all things Costco food. A self-proclaimed Costco super-fan since childhood, Greg turned his obsession in a mission to properly rate and review all of Costco’s delicious buys. When he’s not busy navigating Costco aisles, you can find Greg smoking Kirkland Signature meats, meal prepping, or perfecting his homemade jerky recipes.
Over the past couple of years, we have purchased this frozen broccoli about every week and a half. Then this summer it became difficult to locate due to Costco supply problems, I guess. Now that it is back in stock, it is completely different from what was formerly sold. It is tasteless and hard to chew. Bring back the broccoli we love. We will not be buying the new product in the future. It is just a waste of freezer space.
I agree with Ray…what a change! We just had our first bag, and even before we took our first taste, the smell was different than what we were used to. And the taste was not even close to the freshness and flavor of the previous product. Please, Costco, bring back the broccoli you use to sell!!!!
Seems like the amount of broccoli in each microwaveable bag has decreased.
It should be 1 pound still, but I do think the broccoli pieces have gotten smaller over the past year.