Seasonality
Varieties
Varieties we grow and love:
The classic green, smooth head is Bravo, though we grow 3 other varieties later in the season.
Smooth red head is Ruby or Storage #4.
Green and red savoy. Savoy is actually a descriptive term used to describe puckers/wrinkled leaves.
Storage
As always, fresh produce is most delicious and nutritious when consumed as close to the harvest date as possible.
Cabbages will store nicely in a cool space for a long time, if you don’t have room in the refrigerator, where they will keep for months and months.
Cabbage also stores perfectly as sauerkraut, when the temperatures get above 45 in our cold cellar, I package it up and freeze it.
Culinary Info
– can be enjoyed in:
- salads & slaws
- casseroles
- stuffed with meats and rice
- stir-fry
Tips for preparing: Peel off outer wrapper leaves (these make awesome forms for chocolate shells) and discard.
- If you are using leaves as wrappers, it helps to core the cabbage and steam whole for a few minutes. Once it is cool enough to handle, the leaves come off easier and are more pliable for wrapping.
- For anything else not requiring whole leaves, hold the cabbage by the stem and cut downward, along the core. Then remove the remaining cabbage with two more cuts along the core. You are left with 3 hunks perfect for shredding or chopping.
- If you have a mandoline, you’ll make fast work of a whole cabbage and have beautiful slaw. I like to cut the cabbage in half, keeping the stem intact so as to hold the leaves together while running the cabbage over the blade. Sore all your leftovers in a plastic bag in fridge and it will be perfect for weeks!
Also check out these great recipes: