Red Cabbage – Hearty Winter Vegetable

Red cabbage is a traditional winter vegetable that can grow to be the size of a football. The cabbage has firm, closed heads with smooth leaves that lie close together. Red cabbage is reddish purple to blue in color. It appears more red when grown on acidic soils, but bluish on alkaline soils.

Origin

Red cabbage originated in Asia Minor. Today it is mainly grown in Central and Northern Europe.

Season

Red cabbage is available all year round. The domestic supply is greatest from September to December.

Taste

Red cabbage has a typical cabbage taste, but unlike white cabbage it has a slightly sweet aroma.

Use

Whether cooked or raw in a salad, red cabbage can be prepared in different ways. It is often served as an accompaniment to roast goose, pork, duck, or sauerkraut. Typical spices for red cabbage are cloves, nutmeg and bay leaves. Red cabbage harmonises well with apples or oranges when cooked, as a red cabbage soup, or prepared as a salad. The vegetables also taste very good with honey, almonds and cranberries, as our red cabbage recipe proves.

Storage

Red cabbage can be stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.