- Red cabbage: origin, properties and taste
- Caring for red cabbage: proper fertilizing and watering
- Common red cabbage pests and diseases
- Harvest and store red cabbage
- Use and Ingredients
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Red cabbage, also known as red cabbage or red cabbage, is a popular winter vegetable. You can find out from us how to properly care for it and what you should consider when harvesting red cabbage.
Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra) is probably one of the most typical German side dishes for hearty dishes, especially in the winter and Christmas season. You don't have to rely on cabbage from the supermarket or from a jar, because the red-bluish cabbage variety also thrives in the home garden. We explain how to cultivate the he althy herb yourself and take care of it properly.
Red cabbage: origin, properties and taste
The original form of the red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra) finds still on the Atlantic coasts of France, Ireland and England, namely the wild cabbage, which is the origin of many modern types of cabbage. As early as the 12th century, Hildegard von Bingen first mentioned red cabbage with the term "rubeae caules", which means something like "reddish stalk". Red cabbage is a cultivated form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and thus belongs to the genus of headed cabbage (Brassica), a member of the cruciferous family ( Brassicaceae). Red cabbage has many different regional names and is also called red cabbage, red cabbage, blue cabbage, red cabbage or blue cabbage.
Seeing the red cabbage in bloom is rather atypical as it is a biennial plant and is usually harvested in the first year, before the inflorescence develops in the second year. In order to flower, the cabbage needs a four-week dormant phase during the winter, during which the temperatures are around 0 °C. The inflorescence can eventually grow up to 90 cm high and between May and June develops yellow red cabbage flowers about the size of a fingernail, each with four petals. The flowers are pollinated by insects, but can also pollinate themselves. The red cabbage forms seeds from the fertilized flowers, which are naturally dispersed by the wind.
Tip: The round cabbages form tightly packed leaves that change color depending on pH and soil compositionbe able. This property makes red cabbage a well-known soil indicator. Grown in acidic soil, it develops a reddish hue while appearing more bluish in alkaline soil.
The color of the red cabbage can also be influenced by the way it is cooked. As a result of adding vinegar or sour apples, for example, the cabbage will become slightly more acidic and turn red. Unseasoned, red cabbage tastes sweet, mild and has a slightly sweet note that goes well with fruit, but also goes very well with hearty dishes.
Caring for red cabbage: proper fertilizing and watering
Red cabbage is easy to cultivate when the soil and site conditions are good. With ideal conditions and low pest pressure, it gives the hobby gardener large, aromatic cabbage heads that are easy to preserve.
You can find out details about cultivation, such as the correct planting distance or observing a crop rotation, in our special article on planting red cabbage.
As a heavily consuming plant, fertilization is very important for red cabbage, with nitrogen and potassium in particular promoting growth. Yields can be increased significantly with high levels of organic fertilization. However, care should be taken as overfeeding cabbage makes it susceptible to disease, it can acquire an unpleasant sulfur taste, and the aroma fades. A potassium-rich fertilizer promotes proper nutrition of the plant, prevents a change in taste and ensures he althy growth of the cabbages. For example, our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is ideal for the best possible supply of tomatoes and cabbage thanks to its high-potassium nutrient ratio. During production, we do not use animal products and rely on a maximum proportion of organic components, which promotes soil life and creates ideal growth conditions for the plants.
It is best to fertilize the red cabbage twice before planting and during growth. In this way, the cabbages are evenly supplied with nutrients. Late varieties should no longer be fertilized from September, as the nutrients cannot be absorbed during the cold season. With earlier varieties, however, it is advisable that they no longer receive fertilizer three weeks before harvest.
The red cabbageneeds enough water for he althy growth and should therefore be watered regularly, especially during the dry summer months. The plant survives periods of drought, but the quality and size of the heads suffer.
Common red cabbage pests and diseases
Red cabbage has to contend with the pests and diseases typical of cabbage. Pests include cabbage fly (Delia radicum), which is the most important pest of head cabbage. But also the mealy cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae), the cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae), the caterpillar of the cabbage white (Pieris rapae ) and whitefly (whitefly of the Aleyrodidae family) can cause problems. In addition to insects, infestation with cabbage cyst (Heterodera cruciferae) or stem nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci) can significantly damage the plant. Young plants should be protected from snail damage after planting outdoors. One of the most dangerous diseases for red cabbage is clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) - a fungal disease that negatively affects growth and causes the leaves to wilt. As with all types of cabbage, a break in cultivation of three to five years should be allowed for the same bed to prevent the spread of diseases.
Harvest and store red cabbage
The harvest time for red cabbage begins in July, depending on the variety. Later red cabbage varieties usually tolerate frost without any problems as long as the temperatures do not fall below -4 °C. The cabbage can remain in the bed until it is used and can thus be "stored". To harvest the red cabbage, the stalk below the cabbage head is severed with a sharp knife and excess leaves are removed. Late varieties can be hung upside down by the stem after harvest and safely stored in a cool basement or garage until February. Before processing, the outer red cabbage leaves should be removed. Red cabbage can also be stored outside in heaps of earth.
Tip: In mild regions, red cabbage can also be sown in autumn and then harvested in May.
Use and Ingredients
Red cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked. The best-known use is probably the preserved red cabbage, which is a delicious side dish, especially with hearty dishes. Red cabbage should not be cooked for too long, otherwise it becomes valuableingredients and loses its taste. It is better to heat the cabbage slowly. But how does red cabbage stay red when cooked? Adding a little acid - such as vinegar or sour apples - preserves the color of the red cabbage. Red cabbage is also ideal as a raw vegetable - either as a colorful addition to traditional salads or as a red coleslaw.
If you want to preserve the red cabbage and at the same time like quick side dishes, you can boil the red cabbage and quickly heat it up if necessary. It is a little less complicated to freeze the cut red cabbage. It can be stored in the refrigerator for about six weeks.
What makes red cabbage so he althy? Red cabbage is not only aromatic and delicious because of its ingredients, but also extremely he althy: it contains iron and other minerals, antioxidant coloring (anthocyanins), fiber and vitamin C. Especially because of the anthocyanins, you should not overcook red cabbage or eat it raw.
The name already suggests that the cabbage varieties are related to each other. We explain to you how the primeval cabbage was bred into well-known cabbage varieties.