Winter Vegetables

Many years ago cabbage was called the great poor people's food. But today cabbage is part of many dishes, sides, casseroles, stews and any common stir fry just to name a few. Cabbage is rich in nutrients and should be on the menu at least once a week, especially in winter time. Sturdy, abundant and inexpensive, cabbage is a longstanding dietary staple throughout the world and is so widely cultivated and stores well. Lots of cabbages are available throughout the year, however, it is at its best during the late autumn and winter months when it is in season.

Savoy Cabbage and Red Cabbage have a lot of mineral nutrients like iron, calcium, phosphor and magnesium as well as Vitamin C. This is a good reason to eat cabbage during the cold season. In addition cabbage contains a lot of dietry fibre, especially inside the outer leaves. If they are heathly and in a good state they can also be cooked and eaten. One of the most important characteristics of a good quality cabbage are healthy looking heads with strong leaves neatly attached to the head. All cabbages contain only very little calories, about 6–40 kcal per 100 g depending on the kind of cabbage.

Cauliflower
is one of the favourite cabbage types among most people. It contains a really high amount of calcium and phosophor and has become a very favourable cabbage for diets and parents that want to prepare very nutrient food for their children. Cauliflower is rich in vitamin G, folic acid, potassium, vitamin B6 and nicotinic acid. It also contains micronutrients such as zink, copper, iodine and fluoric acid. Its amount of citric acid and malic acid makes it the best cabbage to digest. Fresh cauliflower keeps for about 10 days if it is not washed and kept in a perforated bag.

Broccoli
has a very smooth cabbge taste. It contains more vitamins than the cauliflower and in fact every 100 g contain more Vitamin C than a small glass freshly juiced oranges. Also the stems can be used and eaten, which have an asparagus-like flavour. Broccoli should not be stored in a warm place with a lot of sunlight but should actually be prepared very quickly after purchase. Broccoli is fresh and healthy when its stems and florets are dark green.

Savoy Cabbage
has a very strong taste. Its vitamin C, E and folic acid help to boost smooth skin and more hair volume. It also contains a high amount of calcium and iodine. Savoy cabbage can be bought all year round but at any time of year one should check its head when trying to buy a really fresh one. It should be strong and compact. Also its size is important in regard to quality. Unfortunately savoy cabbage goes off very quickly, especially when kept in the fridge. It can be stored for a maximum of 5 days; in the cellar or any cool outside storage it can maybe keep fresh for up to 4 weeks. Savoy cabbage tastes good cooked as well as raw. It is often used for hearty casseroles or as a side dish.

Chinese Cabbage
comes from a big Asian family of cabbiage. The cabbage heads can weigh up to 1 kg and have great advantages due to their weight. They have a very exquisite flavour and can be digested more easily than other cabbages. Its fine flavour comes from a particular mustard oil, which strengthens the immune system and prevents the growth of micro organisms and cancer cells. Chinese cabbage can be used in salads, it can be braised and steamed.  A sign of its freshness is when the leaves are tightly closed around the head and have a yellow-ish and light green-ish colour. It keeps fresh for up to 10 days. 

Kale or Green Cabbage
develops its full flavour after a couple of frost nights and also becomes more digestibale. It is therefore a good cabbage to keep in your freezer. It also contains a lot of vitamin C and calcium and is just perfect together with somed meat. With a portion of 200g one takes as much calcium as with 2 glasses of milk. Calcium is important for the bone structure and prevents osteoporosis. In addition it contains a lot of vitamin B and C, potassium, phosphor and iron. Green cabbage is one of the most valuable and most healthy vegetables.
Fresh green cabbage can only be found in November and December. Once cooked, it can be stored in the fridge for about 1 week and it can also be frozen. But it is less commonly used as a raw snack as it is quite hard and actually not tasty in its raw state.

Kohlrabi or Turnip Cabbage
is also part of the cabbage family but it gets treated as a vegetable in its own right. It does not consist of flowers or leaves but only a root tuber. It can already be found in spring and has a very mild and sweet taste. When it has a size of 8 – 10 cm in diameter, it is especially mild and contains a lot of vitamins and minerals.

Brussels Sprouts 
are the most traditional winter vegetables. The leaves have the form of little roses and just like green cabbage it actually tastes best after it has experienced the first cold. It also contains 4,7% vegetable proteins with amino acid, which is digested very quickly. In addition it contains a lot of vitamin C, A und B, potassium, iron and magnesium. Brussel Sprouts are also good vegetables to loose a bit of weight as it helps with digesting problems. It is best when used immediately as its leaves can turn yellow very quickly when stored for too long. 

White Cabbage
is one of the cabbages with the least calories (25 kcl pe 100 g). White Cabbage is also used to produce the infamous 'Sauerkraut'. It can be eaten raw, cooked and steamed. Since it contains a lot of potassium it also has a purifying effect. Its mustard oils protect from infections and decrease the level of cholesterol. Its main season is from June to February. Its leaves and stems should have a healthy and crisp look to be categorised as fresh.

Red Cabbage
also called Blue Cabbage has a strong oval head and is rich in calcium and iron. It contains a little more protein than white cabbage. It is in season from September to January.