Pointed cabbage or pointed cabbage is a type of vegetable cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and, like Chinese cabbage, probably originated in China. While it is closely related to white cabbage, pointed cabbage is much more tender and tolerable than all other cabbage varieties. Pointed cabbage is also closely related to filderkraut, which is preferred for making sauerkraut. How healthy pointed cabbage is, whether you can eat it raw and what to consider when freezing it, we explain here.
What is pointed cabbage and when is it in season?
If cabbage is generally considered a winter vegetable, pointed cabbage, on the other hand, is available as early as spring and is harvested into early winter. Therefore, pointed cabbage is sometimes referred to as summer cabbage. The pointed cabbage clearly owes its name to its shape: The growth is loose and conical, and towards the top the green-yellowish leaves converge to a point. The longer the pointed cabbage is stored, the more it turns yellow. Therefore, when buying, you should pay attention to the green color.
Prepare pointed cabbage with healthy effect
100 grams of pointed cabbage have only 20 kilocalories (kcal) or 83 kilojoules. In addition, the vegetable contains many healthy ingredients: vitamins B1 and B2 help the body process carbohydrates, protein and fats, and thus play an important role in energy metabolism. Beta-carotene is a secondary plant substance. Its antioxidant effect prevents cell damage. Potassium is an important mineral for the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, pointed cabbage contains a high amount of vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting. Like all types of cabbage, pointed cabbage also has a high ascorbigen content. Vitamin C develops from this during cooking. Vitamin C is important for numerous bodily functions. For example, it is needed for building bone substance and has a positive effect on the immune system. When preparing pointed cabbage, one should avoid overcooking, otherwise the vegetable loses its delicate flavor. A gentler form of preparation, on the other hand, is brief blanching or steaming of the leaves. Vegetables in winter
Pointed cabbage: recipes for every taste
Pointed cabbage recipes abound. Thereby, a suitable recipe can be found for every taste. Depending on the recipe and preparation, the age of the pointed cabbage can play a role. Pointed cabbage harvested early is particularly tender and mild, so it doesn’t even need to be precooked when preparing cabbage rolls. Raw leaves also lend themselves to preparation as a pointed cabbage salad. The preparation of a salad from raw pointed cabbage follows a simple recipe: simply finely grate a pointed cabbage and an apple and mix well in a bowl with a handful of raisins, a glass of horseradish and a cup of sour cream, season with a little salt and pepper – ready. If you like the vegetables a little heartier, you can try a recipe for a roasted pointed cabbage salad: for example, with pointed cabbage, beans, chicken breast fillet, oil, crème fraiche, yogurt, lemon juice and a little pepper. This and similar recipes are especially suitable as an alternative to heavy meals during hot summer days.
Recipe: pointed cabbage minced meat pan.
The following recipe for a pointed cabbage mince pan (serves four) also offers a delicious variation:
- Two small pointed cabbages
- 500 grams of minced meat
- Two onions
- Oil
- Pepper and salt
- Paprika powder
- According to taste broth and sauce binder
Brown the minced meat and add chopped pointed cabbage and onions. The pointed cabbage should only get a very light brown color. Season to taste with spices and use broth or sauce binder as desired. Potatoes are a suitable side dish. Minced meat also looks good in the pointed cabbage casserole. Instead of potatoes, you can also try a recipe with ribbon noodles: Just add some crème fraiche, sauce binder, beef broth, water, salt, pepper and paprika powder and sprinkle with cheese before baking.
Pointed cabbage recipes for vegetarians
Vegetarians not only appreciate raw pointed cabbage salad, heartier pointed cabbage recipes can also be easily conjured up without meat. If you want to forego the classic pointed cabbage mince recipe and prefer to prepare the vegetable in vegetarian form, all you have to do is sauté a finely chopped onion in a saucepan with butter until translucent, add half a cup of whipped cream and let the whole thing cook down for about 10 – 15 minutes.In the meantime, cut the pointed cabbage into wide strips and blanch in boiling salted water for five minutes. Now whisk the onion cream sauce with an egg yolk and season with salt and pepper. The pointed cabbage can then be folded in. For the cold days is also excellent pointed cabbage soup with different vegetables. Fruit lovers will also get their money’s worth: instead of vegetables, you can try your hand at a pointed cabbage stew with pears, for example.
Freeze pointed cabbage
If you have some left over and do not want to continue eating pointed cabbage fresh, you can also freeze the vegetable like any other. As with recipes for cooking, the same applies here: Long cooking does not get the pointed cabbage, so blanch only briefly before freezing. It is true that pointed cabbage can also be frozen raw, in which case it is even more digestible. On the other hand, there is a risk that the pointed cabbage becomes mushy.
Storage: store pointed cabbage properly
In general, you should store pointed cabbage only for a short time, that is, a maximum of one week. Because the vegetable can already lose its vitamins and taste after a few days. It is best to store it in a dark and cool place or, better yet, in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Small tip: The pointed head keeps longer if it is wrapped in a damp cloth. If it is already cut, it should be wrapped in aluminum foil.
