Stephen Albert
Savoy cabbage is considered by many to be the best-eating cabbage. It has a very delicate texture and a flavor most consider much superior to smooth-leaved cabbage. The savoy cabbage has a yellow-green nearly round head with wrinkled leaves.
Because savoy cabbage is so tender, it requires much less cooking than other cabbage varieties.
How to Choose Savoy Cabbage
- Select cabbage that is heavy for its size and compactness.
- Savoy cabbage should be crisp with well-colored leaves.
- Avoid Savoy cabbage that has thin, wilted leaves or a cracked head.
How to Prep Savoy Cabbage
- Soak cabbage in salt water or vinegar for about 15 minutes before using it to free the tightly packed leaves of insects.
- After soaking, rinse the head thoroughly in cold running water.
- For the mildest flavor and tenderness, cut out and discard any fibrous thick ribs from the outer leaves.
Savoy Cabbage Serving Suggestions
- Savoy cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked.
- Savoy cabbage has a flavor affinity for garlic, olive oil, polenta, potatoes, sweet onions, and white beans.
- Quick Cook Recipe. Slice savoy cabbage into 1/4-inch strips. Heat 2 cloves garlic and a quarter cup extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick pan. When the oil is hot, add the cabbage and a dash of salt. Cook and stir until the cabbage is just tender. Cabbage that is cooked tender-crisp will remain sweet. Overcooked cabbage will lose texture and flavor.
How to Store Savoy Cabbage
- Cabbage will keep for about 2 weeks in the vegetable drawer or in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator.
- Cut cabbage should be stored away from other foods.
Savoy Cabbage Varieties
- ‘Savoy King’, ‘Savoy Ace’, and ‘Quintal D’Alsace’ are the best know savoy cabbage varieties.
- ‘Spivoy’ is unusual; it has a pointed head. It is a great selection for the home garden because it can be closely planted and holds well after maturing so that the harvest can be extended over a longer period.
About Savoy Cabbage
- Savoy cabbage is named for the region where it is believed to have originated: the Savoy which straddles the Alpine regions of Italy and France.
- Savoy cabbage is also called curly cabbage.
- Cabbage is a cool-season crop. In regions where it gets neither too hot nor too cold, cabbage will keep in the garden for quite some time.
Also of interest:
How to Harvest and Store Cabbage
