Yellow Snowball X Cauliflower?

[camproses7]

This is my first year for growing cauliflower (not for planting the seed! lol) and my plants finally produced some small heads. However, I haven't been sure when/how to harvest and now the beautiful snow white color has turned to a buttery yellow. Can I still harvest? Was I supposed to cover the head with the leaves while growing? What happened?

[Izzy]

Yes, and Yes. You can still eat it - when exposed to sunlight, the curds turn yellow. It's been a long time since I allowed that, but I don't recall it affecting the flavor. What affects the flavor is waiting too long to harvest. Pick when the curds are well formed, but tight. If allowed to grow, they will get grainy and loose - and have a strong, disagreeable flavor. If continued to grow, they eventually will take on more color, purple in my case, and attempt to set seed.

When the curds first begin to form, I gather the large outer leaves so that they overlap over the forming head. Hold on to them with one hand, and fasten them together to blanch the cauliflower. I used a large darning needle and a piece of yarn to stitch a large X, then tied it off. Yarn won't tear the leaves during wind or rain like string will. I've found it necessary to cover the heads of self-blanching types also. Mine is usually done by mid-March down here.