Cabbage
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of Brassica oleracea, is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense leaved heads. It is descended from wild cabbage and belongs to the "cole-crops" or brassicas, closely related to cauliflower broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and Savoy cabbage.
Appearance
Generally, a cabbage weighs between 500 to 1,000 grams (1 to 2 lb). Smooth-leafed, firm-headed green cabbages are the most common, with smooth-leafed purple cabbages and crinkle-leafed savoy cabbages of both colours being rarer. Under conditions of long sunny days, such as those found at high northern latitudes in summer, cabbages can grow quite large. As of 2012, the heaviest cabbage was 62.71 kilograms (138 lb 4 oz).
Cultivars
There are several cultivar groups of cabbage, each including many cultivars:
· Savoy – Characterized by crimped or curly leaves, mild flavour and tender texture
· Spring greens – Loose-headed, commonly sliced and steamed
· Green – Light to dark green, slightly pointed heads.
· Red – Smooth red leaves, often used for pickling or stewing
· White, also called Dutch – Smooth, pale green leaves
The cabbage inflorescence, which appears in the plant's second year of growth, features white or yellow flowers, each with four perpendicularly arranged petals.
Many shapes, colours and leaf textures are found in various cultivated varieties of cabbage. Leaf types are generally divided between crinkled-leaf, loose-head savoys and smooth-leaf firm-head cabbages, while the colour spectrum includes white and a range of greens and purples. Oblate, round and pointed shapes are found.[15]
Cultivation
Cabbage is generally grown for its densely leaved heads, produced during the first year of its biennial cycle.
Plants perform best when grown in well-drained soil in a location that receives full sun.
Different varieties prefer different soil types, ranging from lighter sand to heavier clay, but all prefer fertile ground with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8
For optimal growth, there must be adequate nitrogen levels in the soil, especially during the early head formation stage, and sufficient phosphorus and potassium during the early stages of expansion of the outer leaves.
Temperatures between 4 and 24 °C (39 and 75 °F) prompt the best growth, and extended periods of higher or lower temperatures may result in premature bolting (flowering).
Flowering induced by periods of low temperatures (a process called vernalization only occurs if the plant is past the juvenile period.
The transition from a juvenile to adult state happens when the stem diameter is about 6 mm (1⁄4 in). Vernalization allows the plant to grow to an adequate size before flowering. In certain climates, cabbage can be planted at the beginning of the cold period and survive until a later warm period without being induced to flower.
Green and purple cabbages
Plants are generally started in protected locations early in the growing season before being transplanted outside, although some are seeded directly into the ground from which they will be harvested.
Seedlings typically emerge in about 4–6 days from seeds planted 13 mm (1⁄2 in) deep at a soil temperature between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F)
Growers usually place plants 30 to 61 cm (12 to 24 in.) apart. Closer spacing reduces the resources available to each plant (especially the amount of light) and increases the time taken to reach maturity.
Early varieties of cabbage take about 70 days from planting to reach maturity, while late varieties take about 120 days.
Cabbages are mature when they are firm and solid to the touch.
They are harvested by cutting the stalk just below the bottom leaves with a blade. The outer leaves are trimmed, and any diseased, damaged, or necrotic leaves are removed.
Harvest delays can result in head-splitting due to expansion of the inner leaves and continued stem growth.
Cultivation problems
Due to its high nutrient requirements, cabbage is prone to nutrient deficiencies, including boron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
Several physiological disorders can affect the postharvest appearance of cabbage. Internal tip burn occurs when the margins of inside leaves turn brown, but the outer leaves look normal. Necrotic spot is oval sunken spots a few millimetres across that are often grouped around the midrib.
In pepper spot, tiny black spots occur on the areas between the veins, which can increase during storage.
Fungal diseases
Fungal diseases include wirestem, which causes weak or dying transplants, and many others, all of which are challenging to treat.
One of the most common bacterial diseases to affect cabbage is black rot, which causes necrotic that start at the leaf margins and wilting of plants.
Downy mildew produces pale leaves with white, brownish or olive mildew on the lower leaf surfaces; this is often confused with powdery mildew.
Aphids induce stunted plants with curled and yellow leaves; thrips lead to leaves with white-bronze spots.
Destructive soil insects include the cabbage root fly and the cabbage maggot, whose larvae can burrow into the part of the plant consumed by humans.
Planting near other members of the cabbage family, or where these plants have been placed in previous years, can prompt the spread of pests and disease. Excessive water and excessive heat can also cause cultivation problems
Factors contributing to reduced head weight include growth in the compacted soils, drought, waterlogging, insect and disease incidence, and shading and nutrient stress caused by weeds.]
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Cabbage is prepared and consumed in many ways. The simplest options include eating the vegetable raw or steaming it.
Many cuisines pickle, stew, sautee or braise cabbage.
Pickling is a common way of preserving cabbage, creating dishes such as sauerkraut.
Savoy cabbages are usually used in salads.
Flavour
Glucosinolates cause the characteristic flavour of cabbage.
Cooked cabbage is often criticized for its pungent, unpleasant odour and taste. These develop when cabbage is overcooked and hydrogen sulphide gas is produced
Nutrients
Raw cabbage is 92% water, 6% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and little fat.
Raw cabbage is a rich source of vitamins C and K containing 44% and 72%, respectively, of the (DV).
Cabbage is also a moderate source (10–19% DV) of vitamin B6 and folate, with no other nutrients having meaningful content per 100-gram serving (table).
Herbalism
In addition to its usual purpose as an edible vegetable, cabbage has been used historically in herbalism.
The cooling properties of the leaves were used in Britain as a treatment for trench foot in World War I.
As of 2019, there is no clinical evidence that cabbage has any medicinal properties.
Disadvantages]
Excessive consumption of cabbage may lead to increased intestinal gas which causes bloating and flatulence.
History
Cabbage was most likely domesticated somewhere in Europe before 1000 BC, although savoys were not developed until the 16th century AD. By the middle Ages, cabbage had become a prominent part of European cuisine.
Some Romans considered brassica dressed with vinegar, cooked or raw, a table luxury.
When round-headed cabbages appeared in 14th-century England, they were called cabaches and caboches.
Cabbages were a staple of the poor: in the lean year of 1420. The "Bourgeois of Paris" noted that "poor people ate no bread, nothing but cabbages and turnips and such dishes, without any bread or salt".
In India, cabbage was one of several vegetable crops introduced by colonizing traders from Portugal, who established trade routes from the 14th to 17th centuries
Many cabbage varieties—including some still commonly grown—were introduced in Germany, France. During the 16th century, German gardeners developed the savoy cabbage.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, cabbage was a food staple in such countries as Germany, England, Ireland and Russia, and pickled cabbage was frequently eaten
Dutch, Scandinavian and German sailors used sauerkraut to prevent scurvy during long ship voyages.
Cabbage was brought to the Americas in 1541–42. It was probably planted by the early English colonists, despite the lack of written evidence of its existence until the mid-17th century.
Cabbage seeds travelled to Australia in 1788 and were planted the same year. It became a favourite vegetable of Australians by the 1830s.
In 2018, the world production of cabbages (combined with other brassicas) was 69.4 million tonnes, led by China with 48% of the world total (table). Other significant producers were India, South Korea, and Russia.