Remove any wilted exterior leaves as necessary.

Chop the cabbage to use raw in salad; separate the leaves to cook them.

Choose a cabbage that feels heavy, with a tight, compact head. It should have an attractive green color with slightly crisp, juicy leaves with no yellowing .

Avoid soft, wilted leaves – some grocers remove them to make the vegetable look fresher.

The tenderest are spring cabbages and those that have been touched by the first frosts.

Cabbage contains sulfurous substances, so in order to prevent the odor from invading the whole house during cooking, add to the pot a crust of bread wrapped in cheesecloth (to prevent the bread from disintegrating into the cooking liquid).

Red cabbage – to preserve its attractive color, slice with a stainless steel knife and add a splash of vinegar to the cooking water.

Head cabbage will keep all winter in a cold cellar or for several weeks in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator.

Savoy cabbage is more fragile and its leaves tend to yellow.

Blanch in boiling water for 10 minutes; pour off the water. Cover with fresh water and cook as usual. Changing the cooking water reduces cabbage’s flatulent effects and makes it more digestible.

Healthy cooking: steam for 30 minutes, covered, to preserve all its nutritional properties.

Even though cabbage excels in its traditional roles, try some new uses for it as well:
• Braised, it’s a perfect accompaniment for roast pork.
• Pairs well with spices: nutmeg, juniper, cloves and cumin all enhance it.
• Marries wonderfully with feathered game: partridge, pheasant, etc.
• Steamed, it makes an excellent bed on which to serve grilled fish.
• Be daring! Try a cabbage salad with slices of banana; drizzle with olive oil, cider vinegar and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper; let sit for an hour before serving.

.1 head, large = 1,250 kilo
1 head medium = 908 g
1 head small = 714 g
1 large leaf = 15 g
250 ml / 1 cup chopped = 180 g
250 ml / 1 cup shrdded - 70 g