White cabbage. © Denzil Green / 2008
White cabbages have firm, tightly-packed, solid heads of leaves.
They are not actually white; the leaves are very pale green with patches of white around the veins, though the outer leaves tend to be darker green than the ones inside which don’t get the direct sunlight.
They mature late in the fall.
Select firm ones heavy for their size, that look crisp.
Cooking Tips
You can eat white cabbage raw or cooked.
Great for sauerkraut or coleslaw.
Storage
Store in refrigerator crisper or very cool place.
For freezing, drying or canning information; see general information for storing cabbage.
See here for directions on making and home canning sauerkraut safely.
White cabbage. Rositsa jeliazkova / freeimages.com
History Notes
White cabbage was actually really developed for sauerkraut.
In North America, white cabbages became popular with producers and retailers because they have a very long shelf life, and so became the most common cabbage by far in North America.
Over time North American consumers who had remembered other kinds of cabbages seem to have died off, and there is an entire generation now in North America who can’t conceive of cabbage looking any other way but white.
White cabbage. © Denzil Green / 2008