Red cabbage

The red cabbage purple-leaved varieties of Brassica oleracea Capitata Group is a style of cabbage, also known as Blaukraut after preparation. Its leaves are colored dark red/purple. However, a plant restyle its color according to the pH value of the soil, due to a pigment belonging to anthocyanins. In acidic soils, the leaves grow more reddish, in neutral soils they will grow more purple, while an alkaline soil will earn rather greenish-yellow coloured cabbages. This explains the fact that the same plant is call by different colours in various regions. It can be found in all Europe, throughout the Americas, in China in addition to especially in Africa.

The juice of red cabbage can be used as a home-made pH indicator, turning red in acid & green/yellow in basic solutions. On cooking, red cabbage will commonly turn blue; it is necessary to put vinegar or acidic fruit to the pot to retain the cabbage's red color.

Red cabbage needs well fertilized soil and sufficient humidity to grow. it is a seasonal plant which is seeded in spring and harvested in slow fall. Red cabbage is a better keeper than its "white" relatives and does non need to be converted to sauerkraut to last the winter.

Nutrition

Cooked red cabbage is 91% water, 7% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat table. It has a high content of vitamin C and vitamin K, containing 44% and 72%, respectively, of the Daily Value DV per 100-gram amount, and is a moderate source of vitamin B6 17% DV table.