Early Hearting cabbages

[Stroppy scotte]

Hi
You will have to forgive my ignorance but the cabbages have hearted already. I still need to thin some out so:
--Can I cook the ones I thin out?
--Will the others continue to grow over the Winter or will they give up the ghost?
I really need some help with this. Had expected the cabbages to look after themselves until the Spring, but thinking about it we eat most cabbage over the winter months.
Maybe by next year I will know what we should be doing .

[nick the grief]

depends how big you want them. if they have good sized hearts on them pick every other one & the ones left will get bigger. We haven't had a reall cold spell to slow them down yet thats the problem.

As to knowing what your doing next year, I doubt it as the day you stop learning is the day they box you up

[Alice]

How Do You Cook Yours

To eat your thinnings why not try this. Chop or slice the cabbage with an onion. Boil together for about 5 mins. Drain well and tip into a buttered oven dish. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and stir through. Pour over some cheese sauce, top with grated cheese or breadcrumbs and pop in the oven for 20 mins or until bubbling all through. Delicious with sausages, boiled ham or left over cold roast.

[Snadger]

I pressume we are talking about pointed spring cabbage? If so, you say you still have some to thin out. If they all haven't hearted up and you thin out some of the straggly ones you could transplant them somewhere to give you a later crop. I transplanted some rather large transplants last week by dibbling them in very deep and firming the soil. It seems to have worked as they have all taken! The moisture in the soil and lack of sun to dry out the leaves seems to help them establish.

I'm not sure but, you could always cut the heads of the hearted ones and put a cross in the top of stem to encourage re-growth which would also give you a later crop of spring greens. Must admit I have never tried it with spring cabbage but it works a treat with summer ones so should be ok

[Stroppy scotte]

Thanks. Like both ideas!!! The cooked cabbage sounds yummy and the thinning sounds a grand idea
Certainly don't want to waste anything at the moment!!