Cruciferous Bouquet

Bouquet of cabbage bearing evidence that it's ready to eat.

This morning I harvested a number of the cabbage plants that came here from Edwards Feeds at the end of last season. I had stopped to buy feed on the morning they were disposing of all the unsold cool-season plants, and with visions of homemade sauerkraut driving my plant selection, came home with not only feed but also a large selection of mostly cabbage plants.

Through the winter months we harvested leaves here and there. Greens mostly, although from time to time we would bring in piles of cabbage leaves. Having fresh-picked greens available throughout the cold season was delightful, and I never could bring myself to thin out the overcrowded plants through the months when growth was slow enough that the crowding was of little import. Now though, the plants are developing quickly and if we are to have any full heads of cabbage later, this is the time to thin out the too-crowded plants.

Evidence of plant predators: caterpillar poop.

Around the edges of the bed, holey leaves attest to the fresh flavor of the plants and to the presence of a few cabbage worms or similar caterpillars. At the base of a very few leaves, piles of caterpillar poop present further evidence that some resident insects have been enjoying the plants.

The early part of this afternoon will be spent chopping up that lovely, cruciferous bouquet, pounding the cabbage in a mixture of our own raw-milk whey, caraway seeds and sea salt, and storing the lot into canning jars. The wait will be worth it, for this will produce our first batch of sauerkraut using home-grown cabbage.

Gotta run now. Cabbage waiting...