Buffman and Gram's Veggies for Vitality: Cabbage

As many of you know Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's fourth generation has been getting more and more involved in the business.  You may have met Jenn's (AS&L's seed room manager) daughter Nadia running the front with her grandmother Shirley or  you may have had one of Shawn's boys help you with a Christmas tree.

This year Buffman (Shawn's middle son) has joined forces with his grandmother, Shirley, to bring you their thoughts on the healthiest vegetable's you can grow.  They consulted Shirley's vast knowledge of gardening and nutrition and  www.whfoods.com

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Cabbage-                                                                 

The BUFFMAN can help you out with some knowledge about cabbage. He says that if you steam cabbage it can help you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits. There are three types of cabbage such as (red, green which you know of, and Savoy).  Red cabbage is one of the most nutritious and best tasting vegetables around. Cabbage has a long history as being used as a medicine. Choose cabbage heads that are firm and dense with shiny, crisp, colorful leaves free of cracks. More than a few detachable leaves from the stem may indicate undesirable taste. Keeping cabbage cool in storage will keep it fresh and will reserve the vitamin C content.

Cabbage is a staple garden vegetable and is easy to grow.  Click here for information on the varieties of cabbage seed AS&L carries.

Of course, as Gram will tell you, the only thing better for you than cabbage is fermented cabbage--that is, sauerkraut.  Here's a recipe for making your own.  If you don't want to make your own check out Thirty Acre Farm from Whitefield, Maine-- they make the best.

This is Alton Brown's recipe--juniper and caraway are optional:
Ingredients

• 5 pounds green cabbage, shredded
• 3 tablespoons pickling salt
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 quart water, in a sanitized glass jar

Directions

In large mixing bowl, mix cabbage thoroughly with salt, juniper berries, and caraway seeds, using hands or tongs. If using your hands, make sure that they are very clean prior to mixing. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Pack cabbage mixture down into a large plastic food container. Top with a lid smaller than the opening of the container and place a glass jar filled with the quart of water on top of the lid. Place in cool area overnight (65 to 70 degrees F). In a day, the cabbage should have given up enough liquid to be completely submerged. The jar serves as a weight to keep the cabbage submerged and away from air.

Check cabbage every other day for approximately 2 weeks and skim the surface of scum, if necessary. Let stand for 4 weeks. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Inactive Prep Time: 4 weeks