It is only in regions with mild winters that summer and autumn cabbage can be grown from February. Everywhere else, we wait until April or May to sow them. As for winter cabbages, they are sown until the end of June. Cabbages, from the family of Brassicaceaeare excellent vegetables and can therefore be enjoyed throughout the year if care is taken to cultivate different varieties and subfamilies taking into account their harvest period.
Varieties of summer cabbage
These cabbages, which are harvested from June to July, are cultivated in the spring.
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Variety
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Flavor/Usage
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Features
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Period
de semis/plantation
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Harvest period
|
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Calabrian green broccoli
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Tender, savory asparagus flavor
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Steamed, braised, au gratin
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Traditional variety, sensitive to frosts
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March to June
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June to November
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Broccoli-rave ou rapini
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Fairly pronounced bitterness.
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Raw, it has a taste reminiscent of radish.
Cooked, it is slightly spicy.
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The shoots, leaves, buds and flowers are eaten.
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Spring
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All year
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Early Head Cabbage
(from Louviers, Cœur de boeuf, Copenhagen Market)
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mild flavor
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As good raw as cooked.
It absorbs well the taste of sauces, broths, etc.
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Large apples from 2.5 to 3 kg.
The old variety Copenhagen Market produces apples of 1.5 to 2 kg.
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From February to May
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May to October
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Pak Choy rouge,
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Mild flavor, reminiscent of Swiss chard,
Meaty base
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Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads.
Mature leaves and ribs are best cooked (steamed, in broth, in a wok, braised in a pan, in a gratin, in soup).
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It is a variety of Chinese cabbage, with red to purple leaves with a white or green midrib.
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April/July
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August to October
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Pointed cabbage (Bacalan de Rennes)
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Raw in salad.
Cooked (to prepare Portuguese-style cod, braised in a pan, in broth or in soup).
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Bluish-green conical apple. Early cabbage, harvested in the spring. Ideal cabbage for cultivation in coastal areas.
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Mid-August to end of September
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April to June
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Cauliflower
(Late from Angers,
Wonder of all seasons,
Clovis F1 hybride,
Triumphant,
Locris F1 hybrid…)
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Crunchy and sweet when raw, tender and tasty after cooking.
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Raw in salad.
Cooked in puree, in soup, as an accompaniment, in a gratin…
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Large white or colored “apple”, very fleshy, which is none other than the floral meristem.
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From March to May or in August-September.
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From June, but can be harvested almost all year round.
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Red cabbage
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Crunchy, slightly sweet.
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Perfect in rawness.
Can be eaten cooked, first in water with vinegar so that it retains its crunch and its beautiful red color.
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Keeps very well after harvest.
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March to June / May to July
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Beginning of September until the end of winter.
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Chou rave
(early Viennese white…)
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Nutty flavor when raw. Once cooked, its taste can evoke turnips but in a subtle way.
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Raw in salad.
Cooked in puree, in gratin.
Its leaves add flavor to vegetable soups.
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You can find red, white or green kohlrabi.
This cabbage is best eaten young.
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March to July / April to August
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June to November
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Autumn cabbage varieties
These are cabbages grown between March and May depending on the region, which can be harvested from August until November.
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Variety |
Flavor/Usage |
Features |
Period de semis/plantation |
Harvest period |
|
|
Pé Tsaï, Chinese Peking cabbage |
sweet flavor |
Raw or cooked in a wok, braised, au gratin… |
Light green cabbage that looks like romaine lettuce. |
March/April or July/August |
From September to the first frosts |
|
Chou Kale |
Very specific taste of cabbage but without being too pronounced. Very slight bitterness. |
Raw integrated into a lentil or quinoa salad. Cooked, braised in the pan. |
It is a curly leaf cabbage, which does not form a head or head. He is therefore acephalous. All kale is also called green cabbage. |
May June |
From October until December provided that the temperatures do not drop below -12°C. |
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Chou cabus (De Vaugirard d’Hiver, Quintal d’Alsace, Rouge tête de nègre, Tronchuda Long Dyke) |
Fairly pronounced but pleasant taste. |
Cooked, perfect for casseroles. Soaks up the flavors well. |
De Vaugirard d’Hiver is an old variety of great hardiness. |
February-March / April-May |
Autumn for the earliest, then all winter |
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Chou de Milan (Gros des vertus, Milan de Pontoise, Milan de la Saint-Jean…) |
Tasty, fairly pronounced taste. |
Cooked, ideal in a stew. |
The variety Midsummer’s Milan is very early. |
April to June / May to July |
Throughout winter until spring |
|
Chou Romanesco |
Tasty |
Raw or cooked, it is prepared like cauliflower |
It is a variety of cauliflower. |
March-April / May-June |
From November |
The varieties of winter cabbage
Sown in May or June then transplanted in July, these cabbages are harvested from the month of number until March.
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Variety |
Flavor/Usage |
Features |
Period de semis/plantation |
Harvest period |
|
|
Cape purple broccoli |
Fondant, light cauliflower taste |
Raw with salted croque, Preferably steamed to preserve its beautiful purple color. |
Old, late variety. The violet color develops with low temperatures. |
July |
January February |
|
Brussels sprouts (Lancelot, Precoce de Fontenay, King Arthur, Jade Cross F1, Nain de Lyon, Dur de Gélis, Sanda…) |
Strong taste |
Cooked. It can be blanched and then roasted in a sauté pan with garlic and parsley. Very good also in gratin or roasted in the oven. |
Small apple-shaped puffs, composed of an assembly of very tight leaves. We always start by harvesting those located at the bottom of the stem. |
February to April / May to July |
winter until spring |
|
turnip cabbage (Green-necked Rutabaga and Yellow-necked Rutabaga are most commonly grown) |
Quite close to turnip, cabbage and celeriac. |
The swollen stem just like the leaves are eaten raw or cooked but preferably when they are young. |
This is rutabaga also called Siam cabbage. |
April to June / May to July |
From October-November (but it is considered winter cabbage) |
Whether it is for a summer or autumn crop which allows a harvest from July to November or for a winter crop, the harvest then taking place between November and March, all cabbages deserve a place in the vegetable garden. Very rich in micronutrientsthose are dietary vegetables.
Finally, the gardener must always sow his cabbage under cover if the slightest risk of late frost remains. You should also know that the many varieties of cabbage thrive in rich, cool, deep, loose soil. On the other hand, before buying seeds or plants, you should always find out about the climatic conditions that suit them best in winter. Some cabbages like temperate climates (Broccoli, cauliflower) while others have a clear preference for humid climates (which is the case for the vast majority of winter cabbages). But there are some that are perfect for a mountain climate (headed cabbage, rutabaga cabbage).