Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Fennel Bulbs
A practical reference for produce buyers, kitchen managers, and food businesses on selecting, storing, preparing, and sourcing fennel bulbs.
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Fennel Bulbs
A fennel bulb is the swollen, fleshy base of a particular subspecies of the plant Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, commonly called Florence fennel. It is grown as an annual crop in temperate regions and harvested for this single, edible structure. The bulb sits at the soil line, with the feathery fronds and the stalk emerging from its top. When you buy one, you are buying a plant organ that has been bred and cultivated for a specific window of peak quality, and that quality fades quickly after harvest.
The distinction from the herb fennel is the first thing any professional buyer needs to understand. Herb fennel, Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce, is grown for its leaves and seeds. It does not produce a bulb worth eating. The fennel bulb you see at a wholesale terminal or in a grocery refrigerated case is the Florence type, sometimes marketed by its Italian name, finocchio. The plant develops a thickened leaf base that is layered like an onion, but it is not a root. It is a stem, and understanding this makes predictable handling decisions easier.
The bulb develops over roughly 65 to 90 days from transplant, depending on the cultivar and the season. It is a cool-season crop. It grows best when daytime temperatures sit between 15°C and 21°C. If night temperatures stay above roughly 24°C for prolonged periods, the plant is under stress and will often bolt. Bolting is when the plant suddenly shifts