Vixmm
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Cabbage growth leftovers

Hi!
Curious if someone has advice or experience with using the cabbage leaves that continue to grow on the stalk/root after the head has been taken off? This year I didn’t get to replanting quickly, leaving the stalks in the ground now for a couple months. Now I have a lot of single leaves that seem not too tender, but surely usable somehow?
Anyone ever use those leaves for something tasty, or is it just too bad?
Thanks for any information
Victor

pepperhead212
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Those leaves get a little tough and fibrous, but often, like with broccoli, when the main head is cut off, some side shoots grow from it, so you can get some more harvests from it. The rest of the plants are good for composting.

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digitS'
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We will harvest the head.

Remove all old leaves from the stem, still in the ground.

The stems grow buds, as Dave notes. Sometimes, there are many and they cannot develop to any size. Leaving 4 or 5, they should be able to reach a useful size for a nice harvest.

They may remind us of Brussels sprouts but these buds have the same flavor as the large head, previously harvested. They seem especially tender.

Steve

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applestar
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GroundHOG raided my garden and ate the top of the cabbage before the heads were fully formed :evil:

I trimmed the chewed up stalks and waited to decide what To do with them/bed — pull and replant with something else? But I became distracted, and while they sat, they grew what looked like Brussels Sprouts that completely opened up — or maybe like kale — short 2-4 inch bunches of tender leaves from the remaining leaf nodes. So I plucked them off and cooked them up — stir fired in butter and EVOO, then splash of balsamic vinegar. They were yummy. I’m harvesting more as they grow and freezing them to use as needed.

My timing for growing Brussels Sprouts was off, and they are making sprouts already — some of them start unfurling in the heat even though too small — those are going in the same freezer bag.



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