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Vegetable · Brassicaceae

Cabbage

Brassica oleracea Capitata Group

A dense head of layered leaves that can be crisp and peppery raw or sweet and tender when cooked.

Core Edibles · Volume One

Cabbage

01

Meet the food

Head cabbage, raw. Scientific identity: Brassica oleracea L. Capitata Group; the USDA record is a generic market form. Edible part: Raw leaves from a compact head. Exact source form: Cabbage, raw, corresponding to USDA FoodData Central FDC 169975.

A dense head of layered leaves that can be crisp and peppery raw or sweet and tender when cooked.

Common name
Cabbage
Scientific name
Brassica oleracea Capitata Group
Family
Brassicaceae
Edition
Core Edibles
Flavor
Peppery · sweet · vegetal
Texture
Crisp raw · tender cooked
Season
Cool seasons
Best storage
Refrigerate whole
Great for
Slaw · sauté · soup
Know this
Home fermentation requires tested salt and temperature control

02

Pairings

  • Carrot
  • Apple
  • Mustard
  • Dill
  • Beans
  • Ginger

03

Safety & special considerations

Home fermentation requires tested salt and temperature control

Safety & special considerations Raw, cooked, and fermented cabbage are different foods. Use a tested fermentation or canning method rather than improvising shelf-stable storage.

04

Taste, choose & buy

Select a heavy, compact head with crisp leaves and no slime, deep rot, or spreading mold.

05

Nutrition

Exact food form · Per 100 g

Cabbage, raw

Cabbage: Cabbage, raw, Per 100 g
NutrientPer 100 g
Energy25 kcal
Carbohydrate5.8 g
Protein1.28 g
Fat0.1 g
Fiber2.5 g
Total sugars3.2 g

USDA FoodData Central · per 100 g. Typical eating portions may be much smaller, especially for spices.

Exact chapter values; per 100 g; no derived calculations; unavailable values remain n.a.

06

Store & preserve

  1. 1

    Refrigerate whole

    Refrigerate whole and dry. Wrap cut cabbage and use promptly; remove only minor dry surface damage.

  2. 2

    Before using

    Discard food with mold, pests, leaking decay, or an unmistakably off odor.

07

At a glance

Flavor
Peppery · sweet · vegetal
Texture
Crisp raw · tender cooked
Uses
Slaw · sauté · soup
Storage
Refrigerate whole
Safety
Home fermentation requires tested salt and temperature control
Nutrition form
Cabbage, raw

08

Grow: start to harvest

Cabbage is a cool-season biennial grown as an annual for its leafy head. Choose spring, summer, or storage varieties for the intended season.

START WITH
Head-cabbage seed
CLIMATE
Cool weather around 45–75°F
LIGHT
6–8+ hours of direct sun
SOIL
Fertile, firm, well-drained soil
  1. 1

    Start it

    Start seed 1/4 inch deep 6–8 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow in mild weather. Harden seedlings for 7–10 days.

  2. 2

    Give it room

    Plant 12–18 inches apart for smaller heads or 18–24 inches for large heads; rows 24–36 inches apart.

  3. 3

    Water correctly

    Give 1–1.5 inches weekly and keep moisture even to reduce splitting.

  4. 4

    Care for it

    Mulch, weed shallowly, and cover immediately with insect netting where cabbage worms are common.

  5. 5

    Harvest

    Cut when the head feels solid under hand pressure. Leave outer leaves and a short stem; harvest before splitting.

Depending on variety, heads mature roughly 60–100 days after transplanting.

Cut when the head feels solid under hand pressure. Leave outer leaves and a short stem; harvest before splitting.

09

Prepare & cook

  1. 1

    Remove damaged outer leaves

    Match the method to the exact food form and intended dish.

  2. 2

    Rinse

    Match the method to the exact food form and intended dish.

  3. 3

    Quarter through core

    Match the method to the exact food form and intended dish.

  4. 4

    Cut out core and slice

    Match the method to the exact food form and intended dish.

Sources

core-edibles-2026.1 · cabbage