Cabbage Kalibos (Filderkraut) F1 - Brassica oleracea capitata

The Kalibos Cabbage (Filderkraut) F1 is a beautiful variety resulting from the cross-breeding of red cabbage and pointed cabbage. It forms opulent heads composed of reddish-purple leaves. It is a crisp cabbage with a sweet taste that can be harvested from the end of summer. It can be sown from late March to June for a harvest from August to December.

The Savoy Cabbage or Drumhead Cabbage is a very popular leafy vegetable, it is a must-have in the vegetable garden and if we love it so much, it might be as much for its flavor as for the generous appearance of the heads it forms.

Indifferently called Drumhead Cabbage or Savoy Cabbage (in Latin Brassica oleracea capitata, capitata meaning "head"), this beautiful vegetable plant belongs to the large family of Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). Native to Europe, it is a biennial plant grown as an annual that produces a more or less compact head, which can be round, slightly flattened or clearly conical in pointed varieties. The leaves of the Savoy Cabbage are smooth and their colour varies depending on the varieties: from very light green, almost white, to dark green sometimes slightly bluish, to red tinged with violet or almost black.

The Cabbage, although emblematic of winter, can be sown and harvested almost all year round. Varieties are generally grouped into three main categories: spring Cabbages that are harvested from late April to June, summer and autumn Cabbages for the period from July, and winter Cabbages that allow, along with leeks and parsnips, to wait until the first spring harvests.

The Drumhead Cabbage can be consumed both raw and cooked, it can be prepared shredded in salads, braised to accompany meat and fish dishes, stuffed, or used in soups and sauerkraut. There are plenty of recipes, both in traditional and modern cuisine.

From a dietary point of view, it is remarkable: its energy value is low but it is very rich in vitamins C, B6, and B9, it also contains a lot of fiber and minerals like calcium.

In the Vegetable Garden, it is an easy vegetable to grow as long as you comply with its requirements: deep soil, excellent manure, and regular moisture. It thrives in the sun and generally does well in cool and rainy climates.

Note: This variety is labeled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly flavorful and/or early while being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are interesting both for their uniformity and their resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to the next generations: it will therefore not be possible to save the seeds for later sowing.

Harvest: it is done when the Cabbage forms a nice head and before the leaves start to turn yellow. It is done with a knife, simply by cutting just below the head.

Storage: the Savoy Cabbage can be kept for several days in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen very well after being blanched in salted boiling water. Winter varieties can also be left in the ground. Finally, the preparation of sauerkraut (lacto-fermentation) allows for the tasty preservation of white-headed autumn varieties.

Gardener's tip: Don't forget the flowers! Even though the vegetable garden is primarily a garden for producing quality vegetables, it is always interesting to plant flowers in it. Firstly, for the aesthetic pleasure they provide, but also to repel pests and attract precious pollinators. So, don't hesitate to plant, in the middle of the rows or at the edges of the beds, Gaillardias, Marigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos, Nasturtiums, or even beautiful herbs like Dill. However, be careful with some plants, although very useful, like Borage, which tends to self-seed abundantly in areas dedicated to crops.