Cabbage Langedijker bewaar - Brassica oleracea capitata

The 'Langedijker' Storage Cabbage, or Langedijk, forms pale green heads with tightly packed leaves. It is a late variety that stores well and performs best in cool climates. It is sown in nurseries from April to July for harvest from October to December.

The Savoy Cabbage, or Common Cabbage, is a very popular leaf vegetable and a staple in vegetable gardens. We love it for its flavour and the generous size of the heads it forms.

Commonly called Common Cabbage or Savoy Cabbage (in Latin Brassica oleracea capitata, capitata meaning "head"), this beautiful vegetable belongs to the large family of Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). Originally from Europe, it is a biennial plant cultivated annually that produces a more or less tightly packed head, which can be round, flattened, or distinctly conical in pointed varieties. The leaves of the Savoy Cabbage are smooth, and their colour varies depending on the variety: from very light green, almost white, to dark green, sometimes with a slight bluish tinge, to red tinged with violet or nearly black.

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

The Savoy Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked. It can be grated for salads, braised to accompany meat and fish dishes, stuffed, or used in soups and sauerkraut. There are plenty of recipes, both traditional and modern.

From a dietary point of view, it is remarkable: it has low energy value but is very rich in vitamins C, B6, and B9. It also contains a lot of fibre and minerals, such as calcium.

In the vegetable garden, it is easy to grow as long as you meet its requirements: deep soil, excellent fertilisation, and regular moisture. It thrives in the sun and generally does well in cool and rainy climates.

Harvest: It is done when the Cabbage forms a nice head before the leaves turn yellow. It is harvested with a knife by cutting just below the head.

Storage: Savoy Cabbage can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. It also freezes 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 delicious preservation of autumn varieties with white heads.

The gardener's tip: Don't forget the flowers! Even though the vegetable garden is primarily intended for producing high-quality vegetables, it is always interesting to plant flowers. First and foremost, for the aesthetic pleasure they provide, but also to repel pests and attract valuable pollinators. So, don't hesitate to plant Gaillardias, Marigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos, Nasturtiums, or beautiful herbs like Dill right in the middle of the rows or at the edge of the bed. However, be cautious with some plants, such as Borage, which tends to self-seed abundantly in dedicated growing spaces.