# Who grows cabbage?



## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

So last fall I threw some cabbage seeds in a raised bed, just because. Had never grown any & wanted to see if they'd make it thru the winter.

They did, about 1/2 of them...but...they aren't "heads" like you see in the store, just really large leaves. I imagine they're still edible, but I'm wondering what went wrong...?

Unfortunately I can't find the seed envelope to see what variety it was. :dunno:


----------



## Henry Svec (Apr 24, 2014)

We grow so called "winter cabbage" just normal cabbage little more hardy. we seed it in the spring and they are nice big heads. we make lot of sour craft, so in winter we use a lot of it with our home cooking.
Great supply of vitamin C in winter.

Henry


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

we (mostly my wife) had some cabbages last season, we have to cover ours with screen to keep the butterflies or moths that wreck them out. sauerkraut is supposed to be really good for the digestive system too


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I dont think you have anything to worry about yet, they could still head out now that the weather is warming up. 

It's not unusual for them(in my experience) to stay in the leaf stage through winter until conditions are more to their liking, keep tending them and you may still get some good heads from them.


----------



## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Tirediron said:


> we (mostly my wife) had some cabbages last season, we have to cover ours with screen to keep the butterflies or moths that wreck them out. sauerkraut is supposed to be really good for the digestive system too


Had some of my homemade kraut last week, good stuff, AND A HELL OF OF A LAXATIVE!


----------



## Henry Svec (Apr 24, 2014)

Cabbage in any form like sauerkraut , coleslaw or just cut and boil little bit used with food is the best medicine against stomach acid. Or if acid problem (I have bad one) just take piece of cabbage leaf and eat it .
Works better than any medication and it is all natural .


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

PrepN4Good said:


> So last fall I threw some cabbage seeds in a raised bed, just because. Had never grown any & wanted to see if they'd make it thru the winter.
> They did, about 1/2 of them...but...they aren't "heads" like you see in the store, just really large leaves. I imagine they're still edible, but I'm wondering what went wrong...?
> Unfortunately I can't find the seed envelope to see what variety it was. :dunno:[/QUOTE
> 
> ...


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

crabapple said:


> PrepN4Good said:
> 
> 
> > So last fall I threw some cabbage seeds in a raised bed, just because. Had never grown any & wanted to see if they'd make it thru the winter.
> ...


I tried making sauerkraut from "Leaf Cabbage(collards)" years ago, was a waste of good salt! lol


----------



## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

I guess I'm asking about the outer leaves, b/c whenever I see someone buying cabbage at the grocery store, they always strip off the outer, loose green leaves before buying; so arey they bitter, tough, etc? Or can you eat it as you would leaf lettuce - cut off a few leaves at a time? :dunno:


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

You can eat them but the older they are the stronger tasting(and possibly bitter) they may be, they can also get tough and stringy.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Davarm said:


> I tried making sauerkraut from "Leaf Cabbage(collards)" years ago, was a waste of good salt! lol


Thanks for the tip!
I have not gotten around to Kraut making yet.
But I will remember to use only head cabbage.
What variety do you good folks use to make for Kraut?


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

crabapple said:


> Thanks for the tip!
> I have not gotten around to Kraut making yet.
> But I will remember to use only head cabbage.
> What variety do you good folks use to make for Kraut?


I've never found a verity that didn't make good kraut, lol I plant whatever kind the local Feed-n-Seed has and if I buy it(cabbage) at the grocery store I get whatever is there. I'll give a heads up, if you use red cabbage - it can stain.

I usually make kraut from grocery store cabbage when the price drops to around $.35 - $.40 per pound, my crock will hold about 50 pounds so pays to wait till the price goes down.


----------



## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

I look for cabbages with good 'wrapper leaves' in the store - those tougher & stringier outer leaves are excellent for stuffing; shredded fine they add flavor to soup. I stuff mine mostly though, using whatever meatloaf mix I happen to feel like making (meatloaf made with cooked rice is nice). Then take off one of those outer leaves, shave the middle stem so it is no thicker than the rest of the leaf (easier to roll that way) steam or simmer them for about 5 min or so, just until they get limp, then roll the mixture inside like a burrito. Then stack in a saucepan and simmer slowly; or put on a rack & steam them; or even stack in a slow cooker if you have all day to cook them. Pour sauce - I use my spaghetti sauce) on top, and cook nice & slow. If there is any leftover beer around it adds that certain 'something' to the tomato sauce, but don't add too much as some folks don't like their cabbage rolls drunken.


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

kappydell said:


> I look for cabbages with good 'wrapper leaves' in the store - those tougher & stringier outer leaves are excellent for stuffing; shredded fine they add flavor to soup. I stuff mine mostly though, using whatever meatloaf mix I happen to feel like making (meatloaf made with cooked rice is nice). Then take off one of those outer leaves, shave the middle stem so it is no thicker than the rest of the leaf (easier to roll that way) steam or simmer them for about 5 min or so, just until they get limp, then roll the mixture inside like a burrito. Then stack in a saucepan and simmer slowly; or put on a rack & steam them; or even stack in a slow cooker if you have all day to cook them. Pour sauce - I use my spaghetti sauce) on top, and cook nice & slow. If there is any leftover beer around it adds that certain 'something' to the tomato sauce, but don't add too much as some folks don't like their cabbage rolls drunken.


We use the "wrapper leaves" to layer over the top of shredded cabbage when we pack the crock for sauerkraut, they will get pitched out after the kraut makes and you dont loose anything that was underneath them.



talob said:


> Had some of my homemade kraut last week, good stuff, AND A HELL OF OF A LAXATIVE!


When we make kraut I always take the top layer of good kraut out and cook it up the same day, you want to talk about a "LAXATIVE" that top layer could put "Ex-Lax" out of business! lol


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I picked my collards today, with apparatus & radishes, turnips & carrots not ready yet.:droolie:
NOW I wish I had planted cabbage, too!


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

crabapple said:


> I picked my collards today, with apparatus & radishes, turnips & carrots not ready yet.:droolie:
> NOW I wish I had planted cabbage, too!


You can always do a fall planting ...


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

crabapple said:


> I picked my collards today, with apparatus & radishes, turnips & carrots not ready yet.:droolie:
> NOW I wish I had planted cabbage, too!


Dont mean to sound like a "hick(am one lol)" but what is "apparatus"?


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Davarm said:


> Dont mean to sound like a "hick(am one lol)" but what is "apparatus"?


It is a new kind of non GEO asparagus, guess you never heard of it.


----------



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Thanks, we dont grow much asparagus around here but I love it.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Cabbage & collards.


----------

