Cabbage looks like round, solid heads, either red with smooth leaves, green with crinkly leaves (“Savoy”), or green with smooth leaves—sometimes they can look like lettuce, but are MUCH heavier and not as tender until cooked.

When it's in Season at Hartwood Farm:

Early summer and fall--cabbage prefers cool weather. Expect to see in your shares 1 time in June or July and 1 time in October (and two times in the winter shares—cabbage stores so well in winter!)

Crop Category and What it Tastes Like:

Cooking Greens! (or reds…)

Cabbage can we sweet and mild, or more pungent. The longer its cooked, the more tender the leaves become, but the more pungent the flavor, and definitely the smell, can become. Raw, cabbage tastes mildly grassy and crisp.

How to Handle and Store:

Cabbage stores best in the crisper drawer in a loosely closed bag with a bit of moisture in it. It can last 1 to 2 months, or 5 months for winter varieties! If the outer leaves dry out, just peel them off before using. If you don’t use the whole head at one time, wrap the remaining part of the head well in a plastic bag to store. If you plan ahead to only use a small bit of the head, the rest can be easier to store and last longer if the desired amount is pealed off in leaves rather than chopping through the whole head.

How to Prep for Use:

Cut the cabbage in half down the center so that you can cut out the solid (and stringy/not good to eat) core. Then cut leaves according to recipe--we usually chop into four quarters after coring and then thinly slice the cores, then pulling them apart into strips in a bowl.

Ways to Cook and Eat:

More versatile than you think, cabbage can be eaten raw, sautéed, grilled, braised, added to soups and stir fries, and even roasted. It's also the best veggie to pickle (sauerkraut! kimchi!). I like the flavor of red cabbage better, but it does turn the rest of what it’s cooked with pink. Can be used as a substitute for other leafy brassica-family crops (depending on the recipe), including collards or kale.

Quick and Dirty Hangry Farmer Go-To Preparations:

We prefer it raw or lightly cooked, as it gets more pungent if cooked longer. Our favorite uses are sliced super thin and eaten raw in a salad, either on its own, in a slaw with carrots or beets, or mixed with lettuce and greens. We also love it sautéed with onion, olive oil, and caraway or mustard seeds (this is great to add chunks of apple to). Finally, cabbage is the best green for tacos (WAY better than lettuce), and can be used for wraps!

Typical time to:

Steam—2 to 5 minutes
Sauté—5 to 10 minutes, or until leaves begin to brown
Bake—Depends on preparation and desired use, use your recipe as a guide
Boil—Not generally recommended (by us), but great for prepping lettuce wraps (about 1 minute)

Our Favorite Recipes:

Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion (The Seasoned Mom)—this is a sweet and simple fall recipe! Add bacon to make it even more irresistible

Simple Seedy Slaw (Cookie and Kate)—a fresh, simple coleslaw that everyone will love. Sub in your favorite coleslaw dressing or additions (I love apple in my slaw) to make it your own

Cabbage