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Spring Cabbage Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to spring cabbage
About spring cabbage
Spring cabbage is in the Brassica family, including cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. These cabbages grow slowly over the winter and are sold in stores from late February through June. As the first cabbages of the calendar year, spring cabbages are also known as "spring greens" in many areas.
Spring cabbages are cone-shaped and smaller than other cabbages sold in supermarkets. Unlike the tight leaves of the green cabbage, spring cabbage leaves are loosely held together. These prized spring greens also lack the tough, fibrous heart common in other cabbage varieties. Spring cabbages are slightly sweet and have a soft, silky texture when cooked.
How to pick out spring cabbage
When choosing a spring cabbage, look for a solid head that is firm when squeezed. Avoid cabbages that feel soft or mushy. The leaves should be bright green and look moist. Avoid cabbages that are dry, moldy, yellow, bruised, or heavily damaged by insects. When you look at the stem end of a cabbage, the leaves should be close to the stem. If the cabbage leaves are separating from the stem, the cabbage is old.
How to prepare spring cabbage
Always wash and dry your spring cabbage thoroughly before using it in fresh and cooked applications. Spring cabbage can be eaten raw in salads and coleslaw. It is delicate enough to use in juices and smoothies, adding lots of nutrition without altering the taste. Spring cabbage can be pickled alone or added to pickled condiments such as dixie relish, American piccalilli, and chow chow. Like other cabbages, spring cabbage can be fermented and made into sauerkraut. Fermented cabbage has an incredibly long shelf life and is full of healthy probiotics.
Spring cabbage is also delicious when cooked. Create a quick, healthy side dish by sauteing this versatile vegetable on the stovetop with butter, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and a bit of lemon. Chopped spring cabbage can be steamed or added to soups, stews, and stir fry.
There are many recipes for stuffed cabbage leaves, including the Serbian Sarma, Polish Golabki, Ukrainian Holubtsi, and Romanian Sarmale. Cabbage leaves are typically stuffed with a mixture of meat, rice, and spices. Cook the whole head of cabbage to soften leaves for stuffing. Remove the cabbage stem with a sharp knife. Boil the head of cabbage until the leaves are tender (approximately 10 minutes). Allow the cabbage to cool, and then use the whole leaves for stuffing.
Spring Cabbage Near Me
Buy your favorite Spring Cabbage online with Instacart. Order Spring Cabbage from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about spring cabbage
Spring cabbage is a highly nutritious vegetable. A 1-cup serving of raw cabbage provides:
- 22 calories
- 1 gram of protein
- 2 grams of fiber
- 85% of your daily vitamin K
- 54% of your daily vitamin C
- 10% of your daily folate needs
- Phytonutrients, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin
- Omega fatty acids
- Minerals, such as calcium, manganese, potassium, and magnesium
- Micronutrients, such as vitamin B6, vitamin A, and iron
Fresh spring cabbage should be stored loosely wrapped in plastic in your refrigerator. Properly stored, spring cabbage will stay fresh for up to two weeks. If you only use part of the spring cabbage, place the remainder in an air-tight bag, with a few drops of water on the cut edge. Cut cabbage should be used within a few days.
Spring cabbage may also be frozen for use in soups and stews. Cabbage must be blanched before freezing to prevent a loss of color, flavor, and texture. Blanching spring cabbage is simple:
No. After extensive testing, the Ball canning company declared cabbage to be unsafe for canning in 1977. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also does not recommend canning spring cabbage. The reasons for this are:
- Spring cabbage loses its bright green color when canned, becoming unsightly and gray.
- The flavor of spring cabbage greatly intensifies when canned. Canned cabbage is often considered inedible as a result of its unpleasant flavor.
- The heat treatment of canning is not sufficient when dealing with more dense and rigid cabbage leaves. As a result, cabbage leaves would be under-processed, allowing dangerous pathogens (such as botulism) to survive.
Both Ball and the USDA recommend freezing, pickling, and fermenting as safe and tasty forms of long-term storage.
Spring cabbage is a tasty, nutritious addition to your family table. Instacart makes it easy to get fresh spring cabbage from local retailers. Use the Instacart app to order spring cabbage, and our experienced shoppers will do the work for you. You can enjoy contactless pickup or delivery in as little as 2 hours!