Butter cabbage: The tasty version of savoy cabbage from grandmother's garden. We show tips and tricks for growing & harvesting in your own vegetable patch.
Even if many people do not recognize the butter cabbage either by its name or its appearance, we will introduce this almost forgotten type of cabbage in more detail. Because its leaves are far too tender and aromatic to just let this type of cabbage fall under the table.
Opinions differ as to whether butter cabbage (Brassica oleracea spp. capitata convar. costata ) is a loose-headed type of cabbage or a variety of savoy cabbage. We believe in the former.
In the GDR it was highly valued and cultivated for its delicate and aromatic leaves. In the meantime, this special type of cabbage is rarely found on the market. If you're lucky, you can find him at the farmers' market around the corner. Butter cabbage is still a little more common on the market in the Bergisches Land. Most large farms eliminated it from their culture decades ago: too different growth and loose heads make mechanical harvesting and processing difficult. In addition, the leaves have to be harvested individually from the outside in over several weeks and the heads can only be stored for a short time. The elongated heads are very loosely packed and the light green foliage is slightly wavy to slightly ruffled.
Growing butter cabbage and maintaining it
If you do a search on the internet, you will find specialized seed dealers who offer butter cabbage seeds. Sow from mid-March on the windowsill or a cold frame. The young plants can be pricked out at 10cm and planted from May with a distance of 60cm between the plants and 80cm between the rows. Butter cabbage is considered one of the hardiest cabbage types. Initially, attention must be paid to slugs. The common cabbage diseases afflict butter cabbage less frequently.
You can find detailed step-by-step instructions for cultivation here: Growing butter cabbage: sowing, care and harvest time.
Decide how and when to harvest
Either you harvest the cabbage headcompletely in midsummer or you can harvest individual leaves little by little. This is done from the outside in. If you know from the start that you will harvest by the leaf, you can choose slightly smaller plant and row spacing. Whole butter cabbage can also be stored in a cool place for a few weeks. However, it should be used up much more quickly than white cabbage or savoy cabbage, as it loses its taste and the outer leaves wilt or become limp quickly.
If you like savoy cabbage and white cabbage, you will love butter cabbage
Possible forms of processing range from stuffed cabbage to Asian wok dishes. Butter cabbage has extremely tender leaves and a mild, delicious flavor. The larger leaves can be made into cabbage rolls. The more tender leaves inside the cabbage head are also great as raw vegetables.
Take care of butter cabbage in your garden and support it in its comeback. Your taste buds will surely thank you!