Cooking time but not cooking method affects children’s acceptance of Brassica vegetables

► Preparation affected children’s acceptance for Brassica vegetables. ► Steaming and boiling were equally accepted as preparation methods. ► Medium cooking times were liked more than shorter and longer cooking times. ► Acceptance for preparation methods did not differ for low and high vegetable consumers. The home environment potentially presents a simple means to increase acceptance of sensory properties of vegetables by preparation. This research investigated how preparation can effectively impact upon children’s acceptance for vegetables. Five- and six-year old children (n=82, balanced for vegetable consumption) tasted and evaluated two Brassica vegetables, broccoli and cauliflower, each prepared in six different ways via variations in cooking method (boiling versus steaming) and cooking time (3 levels, ranging from 2 to 14min). Children rated samples for liking and a trained descriptive panel assessed the samples’ sensory properties. Across vegetable types, medium cooking times were liked more than short and long cooking times (p