Of course, cauliflower lasts for a shorter period of time if it is not stored properly.

How to tell if Cauliflower is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

When cauliflower is starting to go bad, the first sign that you will see is brown spots starting to appear on the outside of the white head. If you catch these spots early, you can simply cut them off. But, once they begin to spread and take over the head then it has gone bad. Next, cauliflower will begin to smell and get a moist and even slimy texture. It will no longer be hard and crisp and should not be eaten.

Similar changes will take place for purple and green cauliflower, although they tend to be slightly more delicate than the basic white variety. Brown spots are more difficult to distinguish and they will be begin to show the other signs of decay at the shorter end of the expiration range listed above.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Cauliflower to extend its shelf life?

To extend the shelf life of cauliflower, it is best to store the whole head in a sealed plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.

Do NOT wash the cauliflower until just before use. Just break off what you need and rinse that section when ready to use.

For a longer term option, cauliflower may be frozen for 6-8 months, but they should be blanched first and placed into freezer safe containers.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

How long is Cauliflower good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does cauliflower last? That depends. How long does rice last? In general, it lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the recipe.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Cauliflower lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Cauliflower.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Cauliflower shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please eat responsibly!