What is a cabbage?
Cabbage is dense a leafy green that belongs to the brassica family with broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale. There are many varieties of cabbage with a few commonly found in grocery stores. The most popular is usually green cabbage or purple cabbage. Both have similar textures with the main difference being their colors. There is also Napa cabbage that is lighter in texter and used often in Asian cooking, but can be used in any cuisine.
What do they taste like?
Cabbage has a mild, slightly peppery flavor when raw. When cooked, the peppery flavor mellows out and can take on other flavors well.
What to look for when buying?
Look for a firm, heavy for its size cabbage that has tightly packed leaves. Avoid cabbage that is significantly wilted or soft. Some bruising or scrapes on the outer leaves of the cabbage is okay. Simply peel that layer back and compost.
How to best prepare cabbage?
Cabbage takes minimal preparation before cooking. I like to peel the outer layer off and begin to cut it for my use. When I use cabbage raw it is almost always shredded because of its dense crunchy texture. When I cook cabbage I will often keep them in wedges with the root holding the leaves in place or diced into bite sized pieces. I also use shredded cabbage to sauté or use in a stir fry.
How to best store at home?
Cabbage can be stored for a long time without going bad. Store in the fridge in a container or plastic bag that is opened to reduce moisture build up. The cabbage may start to wilt or oxidize a bit but it is still totally okay to eat. If some parts start to turn brown it is easy to cut those parts off instead of discarding the entire cabbage. To store cut cabbage, place in a plastic bag or container and store in the fridge as well. Cut cabbage will go bad slightly quicker than whole cabbage but can still last a very long time in the fridge. In fact, I have a bag of shredded purple cabbage in my fridge that has been there for over a week and is still crisp and ready to use.
What is the best season?
Cabbage is typically in season during the cooler months such as fall and winter, although it is a crop that can tolerate shoulder seasons well which extends their growing season easily into the spring. Cabbage also stores and transports very well so it is easy to find in many grocery stores and enjoy all year long due to its long shelf life.
What are the common types of cabbage?
Cabbage comes in many varieties with the most common being green cabbage, red/purple cabbage, savoy cabbage, and napa cabbage/Chinese cabbage.
Most of these cabbage varieties can be used interchangeably fairly easily.
Green cabbage is the most common and its fairly dense. It comes in very large sizes to small sizes in the store. Purple/red cabbage is very similar to green cabbage except for its bright vibrant color.
Purple/red cabbage has a tendency to die other ingredients a purple, blue or even a pink color if combined with acid. This can be a fun experiment with kids! I love using shredded purple cabbage as a pop of color in salads, spring rolls, or stir fries. Be careful using it in soups as it could turn the broth an unwanted color depending on other ingredients you are using.
Savoy cabbage is not as commonly found in the store but has a texture crossed between a green cabbage and a napa cabbage. It is not as dense as a green cabbage and its leaves have a bit more texture to them. This cabbage is great shredded or cooked.
Napa cabbage also known as Chinese cabbage usually has a slightly elongated shape compared to the other cabbage varieties that are typically more round. It also has a lighter texture with the leaves not being as densely packed. Napa cabbage is commonly found in Asian cuisine with dishes like stir fries, kimchi, and soups.
Nutritional Benefits
Cabbage is low in calories and rich in vitamins such as C and K. It also contains fiber, folate, manganese and antioxidants. Purple/red cabbage will contain the highest amount of antioxidants due to its vibrant color.
