Red Cabbage Fresh from the Farmer’s Market

Cabbages are full of power! They are full of vitamins and minerals, provide plenty of fiber and have a high content of health-promoting phytochemicals. The anti-cancer effect of red cabbage or blue cabbage, as it is also known, is due to its high glucosinolate content. This substance is associated with increased activity of a cancer protection system in humans. Red cabbage is a typical fall vegetable. It can also be stored very well. It has a strong aroma and can be prepared in many different ways.

Botanics

Today, red cabbage is mainly cultivated in Central and Northern Europe, in the Americas, in China and Africa. The probable wild form, Brassica oleracea, grows on the coasts of the Mediterranean and the European Atlantic coast. Botanically speaking, blue cabbage belongs to the large cruciferous family, now also known as Brassicaceae. The family of kale plants belong to this group, as well as rape, radish, mustard, horseradish and cress. The cabbage head is a compressed axis with leaves that do not unfurl, similar to a bud. Blue cabbage is very similar in shape to white cabbage. The leaves are red in color due to the anthocyanin content.

Treatments

The Romans already used cabbage and kale as a remedy. They were used to treat gout, rheumatism, wounds, ulcers and swellings by applying poultices to the affected areas. Even open legs close up again after a few compresses. To do this, a large cabbage leaf is rolled on a smooth surface with a dough roller. This breaks open the cells and allows the healing juice to be released. The so treated leaf is then tied to the diseased area. It can be left overnight or until it feels dry to the touch. It can then be renewed. Bruises and sprains can also be treated in this way.

Nutritional Aspects

From a nutritional point of view, this healthy autumn and winter vegetable contains very little energy, but a lot of nutritional value. In terms of minerals, it is potassium and phosphorus that stand out. It is particularly rich in vitamin C and folic acid. Something very interesting happens with vitamin C in cabbage vegetables. Unlike other vegetables, it is not lost through cooking, but is instead created from a precursor, ascorbigen, through the application of heat.

The dietary fiber ensures balanced digestion. However, red cabbage is not easily digestible for everyone. Digestibility can be improved by adding caraway, marjoram, fennel, savory or aniseed. If you don’t want these spices in your vegetables, you can also drink a tea made from one of these spices.

The typical, pungent taste comes from the glucosinolates. These sulphur-containing mustard oils are broken down enzymatically when the vegetables are cut open and processed. The breakdown products of glucosinolates are highly bioactive and are beneficial to our health. They have an antimicrobial, anti-cancer and slightly cholesterol-lowering effect. The many dietary fibers also have a cholesterol-lowering effect.

The red pigment is a flavonoid. It strengthens the immune system, inhibits inflammation and scavenges free radicals. Together with vitamin C, it ensures a healthy fat metabolism. A number of studies have also shown that cabbage vegetables protect against colon cancer. The liver and intestines in particular are protected by the breakdown products of glucosinolates. Interestingly, it has been shown that cooked vegetables even produce a greater quantity of enzymes than raw vegetables. Brief cooking, about ten minutes, makes the protective ingredients particularly easily available to humans.

Kitchen Secrets

If you want to enjoy red cabbage raw, it should be finely sliced and mashed a little. This allows the enzymes to work better. Seasoned with a good salad dressing, you have a tasty salad. However, the salad develops its flavor by being marinated before eating. You can also add apples or oranges. If you want to serve the salad warm, blanch the leaves beforehand. Red cabbage is usually eaten as a cooked vegetable. Chestnuts go very well with it. Sour apples or caraway seeds are also well suited to it. The blue-violet color is the special attraction of this vegetable. It is part of the art of cooking to preserve this color. If you add a little baking soda or another alkaline substance, the vegetables turn blue-violet. If you want to avoid the negative health effects of baking soda, you can add spinach, broccoli, walnuts or almonds to help with this color change. If you want a bright red color, add a little lemon juice. Chemically speaking, this effect is due to the anthocyanins, which act as an acidity indicator.

Purchase

Red cabbage grows from spring to the beginning of winter. It even tolerates light frosts. It stores well and is therefore available almost all year round. When buying, make sure that the leaves are crisp and easy to break. Gummy leaves are old or the heads have been poorly stored. Damaged outer leaves rot quickly. The heads must be heavy, otherwise the leaves are too loose. Let’s reach for these relatively inexpensive powerhouses more often in winter and we’ll be doing our health a big favor.