Kraut and Cabbages

We had homemade sauerkraut with our meal last night to see if it was ready, and it was. It's real good, too. Tonight I canned 17 pints of sauerkraut and 2 pints of juice. I love drinking kraut juice cold from the 'fridge - weird, huh?

I made a big mistake with my garden cabbage this year, and now I know better and won't repeat it. Last year I planted cabbages as early as I could and harvested them in mid-June. This year I planted a variety called Danish Ballhead that's a 115-day cabbage. That put the harvest 'way up in August and exposed it to two months of HOT weather. None of it made good heads, the bugs ate it to pieces, and I salvaged what I could.

From now on I'll remember that Missouri doesn't have the cool climate of Denmark, and I need to plant earlier cabbage varieties that I can get out of the garden before the heat hits. Another lesson learned.

Oz hi I am wonderring if you could plant any of the over winter seeds from territorial .I don't remember growing the cabage but did the broc and cauli.I had some in march April.Ernie

Thanks, Ernie, but I'm OK on the process. I don't seed cabbages directly in the ground, I start them indoors under lights in March, then transplant them to the garden in April.

That's worked fine with other varieties that I could harvest in June - but when I ordered seeds for the LATE variety I grew this year, I didn't think about all the heat they'd have to go through in June, July, and August. Cabbages don't like a bunch of heat - at least this kind sure didn't. I just need to stick with earlier-maturing varieties.

When I read that Danish Ballhead has been around for a couple hundred years and that it originated on an island off Denmark, I should have realized it's suited for a long, cool season - not a Missouri summer!

I can't do a good job with the later varities either.mostly because I don't get the soap sprayer out soon enough so I end up growing Aphids.

Hi Ozark. Sorry to hear about your problems with the late cabbage that you planted. One cabbage I like to plant is called Early Jersey Wakefield. The heads are not round, but are shaped like cones. It has been around since the early 1800's, grows well, and has a good flavor. Give it a try and see how it works out for you.

Ozark, will cabbage over winter in your area? I know you are a lot cooler than I am but what sever cold we have doesn't hurt them if the heads aren't mature. If the head is big and tight they will freeze and rot.

"Ozark, will cabbage over winter in your area?"
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Nope, not even close. Most winters here get down to zero a few times, and last winter we had -7 degrees, twice.

When it's like that and our backyard is full of several weeks of ice discs from dumping out the dog's dish and replacing the ice with warm water - then I just barely make it through the winter myself.

Ozark,

What variety of cabbage do you grow for kraut? Grocery store kraut just can't hold a candle to homemade!!!

Ms. Tommie

I haven't grown any Cabbage but from what I understand it overwinter's much like my Carrot's, Lettuce, Beet's, Celery and Garlic are doing so far...

My cabbage are doing great this winter. We haven't had extreme cold weather yet but have had several nights in the 20's. So far the cold hasn't affected them or my broccoli.