Cabbage

red cabbage

Produce Spotlight on Cabbage

Cabbage, a round, firm green or red vegetable with leaves tightly packed in a “head,” is a member of the brassica family. It has a mild flavor and is eaten raw or cooked. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins C and K and a good source of fiber and folate.

 

Shopping for Cabbage

Choose firm, dense heads with shiny, crisp leaves free of cracks and bruises. Avoid cabbage with soft, yellow, or brown outer leaves.

 

Common Types

Green – round head of smooth green leaves that become white toward the center; peppery taste when raw; sweeter when cooked.

Red – round head of dark red or purple leaves; slightly peppery flavor.

Savoy – compact head with curled, green crinkled leaves; mild flavor.

Napa – long, light green oval leaves; mild, sweet flavor.

 

Storage and Preparation

  • Store unwashed cabbage in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Green and red cabbage can keep up to 2 months. Savoy and Napa cabbage keep up to 1 week.
  • To prepare, remove and discard the discolored leaves and wash the head.
  • If not using the whole cabbage, cut it in half through the stem. Store wrapped partial heads and sealed containers of chopped or shredded cabbage in the refrigerator. Use red or green cabbage within 2 weeks and savoy cabbage within 4 days.
  • Refrigerate cooked cabbage in a covered container. Use within 5 days.
  • To freeze fresh whole leaves, wedges, and sliced cabbage, blanch for 1½ minutes, cool, and drain. When packaging, leave ½ inch of head space and then seal and freeze. Use within 12 months.

 

Serving Ideas

  • Add shredded cabbage to stir-fries, soups, casseroles, and tacos.
  • Thinly slice cabbage for salads, coleslaw, or Asian cabbage salad.
  • Make cabbage rolls by mixing spices with ground turkey, rolling the mixture into small balls, and wrapping them in cabbage leaves. Bake at 350º F for 1 hour.

 

Cabbage Math

1 medium head (2½ pounds) green cabbage =

9 cups shredded raw =

7 cups cooked

 

Using Locally Grown Produce

For recipes featuring fruits and vegetables, visit our website https://extension.umass.edu/nutrition/recipes/. To locate places to buy local produce, visit https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-grownand-fresher.

 

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1 leaf, medium; Calories: 6; Carbohydrates: 1.3 g; Fiber: 0.6 g; Fat: 0 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 4 mg