Can we eat bolted fennel?

[sweetcorn]

We were wondering about cutting it up and putting it under our roasting pork for lunch tomorrow!! It's gone to seed, but still had a reasonable sized bulb at the base .....

[Geordie]

yes you can, all bolting does is all the veg's energy goes into producing a flower stem rather than on growing the bulb. They are still edible when they bolt.

[Paulottie]

Can be a bit woody though.

[sweetcorn]

Thanks! Will give it a go .....

[Shirley Sherriffs]

I have a fennel which has gone to seed and its beautiful. 6foot high /wide all feathery with yellow flowers. didnt even know it was in the ground!! so do I leave the foliage to go over then cut it back and it will come away again next year, cos if I dig it up to eat, thats the end for the bulb. Can I chop it in half ?

[rustylady]

The bulb is a one year only thing. When it's gone it's gone. You could try saving seed.

[Rocketron]

You may have missed the bulb but the plant will re-grow next year for more fronds and seeds.

[eye1der]

the bulbs tend to elongate when they are starting to flower. i use a potato peeler on the outside of mine to get rid of the coarse outer parts then chop up the juicy sweet hearts great with fish as yuo say but what i do is steam the fish with the foliage and serve with the hearts braised or roasted with it

[suzie spud]

much of my Fennel bolted this year too (1st time growing it) but not one to waste much I take the fronds and any white bits of stem/bulb and make a thick mat on a roasting dish with a chopped onion. Onto this I lay a whole fish (salmon or monkfish are good). You could use fillets either. Put more fronds inside the cavity and on the top. Drizzle with a little olive oil (cal be lightly flavoured garlic oil or chilli oil also) and pop in the oven. Remove the fennel & fronds before serving. You could sprinkle with some chopped fresh fronds to serve. Yummy!

[Welsh Wizard]

I had good success with Florence fennel this year, I overdid it though and ended up with a glut; as the bulb is something of an acquired taste and not all the family were keen I had a fair few bolt to seed, which I found quite pretty. I found the bolted ones far too woody to use, but the fronds were used in salads and to flavour fish dishes. I saved seed for next year. I will probably grow about half the number of plants though, maybe about a dozen or so as I struggled to use up all the bulbs I had. I will use the free space for more rhubarb chard which the whole family cant get enough of and which doesnt seem to have the bolting in hot weather tendency!