White cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata

vegetable

A headed cabbage with a tight head and smooth leaves, raw in salads, cooked, or fermented into sauerkraut; some reach record sizes, up to 62 kg in 2017 in Britain. 100 g raw provide 37 mg of vitamin C, along with glucosinolates.

Origin

Atlantic coasts of Europe

Season (United States)

September to March · grows in your region

Preparation

The core is eaten too, grated or thinly sliced. Short steaming keeps its glucosinolates; long boiling carries them off. Most of its goitrogens go with cooking, even a short one.

Molecules

Glucoraphanin → sulforaphane · Glucobrassicin → I3C · Insoluble fibersIn small amounts, not counted Vitamin C · Vitamin K1 · ChlorophyllWhat slows things down Goitrogens

Did you know?

Captain Cook took sauerkraut to sea to protect his crews from scurvy.