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Unlike white cabbage, which has long been successfully cultivated in Russia on an industrial scale, other types of this crop have not become so widespread. However, in recent years the trend has been changing. For example, kohlrabi cabbage is now grown not only by amateur gardeners, but also by large farms, although it is still not as popular as its white cabbage relative.
Description of kohlrabi cabbage
Scientists associate the appearance of kohlrabi with the Mediterranean region, namely with Ancient Rome. There, for the first time, there is a mention of this plant as food for slaves and the poor. Gradually, kohlrabi spread to neighboring countries, but this crop became widely known only after its cultivation began in Germany. Kohlrabi also owes its modern name to this country, which is literally translated from German as “cabbage-turnip.”
The fruit part is a thickened spherical stem
The main difference between kohlrabi and ordinary white cabbage is the absence of the so-called head - a round formation of leaves tightly adjacent to each other.Despite this, the structure of these two plant species is very similar. The fruiting body of kohlrabi is the cauliflower, a strongly thickened stem of the plant. In essence, this is the same stalk, but it is not cone-shaped, like white cabbage, but spherical.
The standard weight of a stem fruit is in the range of 0.3-0.5 kg, but for some varieties this figure can be several times higher. The taste of kohlrabi pulp is very reminiscent of ordinary cabbage stalks, but it is softer and more harmonious, it does not have the harshness characteristic of white cabbage varieties. When cut, the stem fruit has a white or slightly greenish color. Kohlrabi cabbage also has leaves; they are few, ovoid or triangular in shape, with very elongated petioles. Unlike ordinary cabbages, they are, as a rule, not used for food.
The best varieties of kohlrabi cabbage
Depending on the ripening period, all varieties of kohlrabi cabbage are combined into several groups:
- Early ripening (up to 70 days).
- Mid-early (70-85 days).
- Mid-season (85-110 days).
- Late ripening (over 110 days).
Types of kohlrabi of different stages of ripeness, their photos and a brief description are given below.
Early ripening varieties
Early ripening varieties require 45 to 65 days to reach harvest ripeness. Their main use is fresh consumption due to their low shelf life and transportability.
These include:
- Sonata F This hybrid matures in 60-65 days. The stem fruit is round, weighing about 0.5 kg, and has a beautiful lilac-violet color. The leaves are oval, grayish-green, with a bluish bloom and purple veins. The taste of the white dense pulp is pleasant, harmonious, without pungency.
Sonata is one of the early ripening hybrids
- Vienna white 1350. This variety of kohlrabi cabbage was bred in the Soviet Union in the middle of the last century; it has long been successfully grown by many gardeners. The stem fruit is medium-sized, up to 200 g, rounded-flattened, greenish-white. The rosette of leaves is few and low. Vienna white 1350 ripens in 65-75 days. Used fresh.Important! Cabbage of this type is resistant to bolting, but has weak immunity to clubroot.
Vienna 1350 - a product of Soviet breeders
- Piquant. Reaches ripeness in 70-75 days. A rosette of large oval leaves, semi-raised. The fruit is round, slightly flattened, greenish with a creamy tint. In good conditions, its weight can reach up to 0.9 kg, but usually the average weight of a stem fruit is in the range of 0.5-0.6 kg.Important! It has good resistance to lignification, does not crack, and can be stored well if planted late.
Piquant can grow to significant sizes
Mid-early varieties
Varieties with mid-early ripening include:
- Moravia. A Czech variety that appeared in Russia at the end of the last century. The stem fruit is medium-sized, about 10 cm in diameter, greenish-white. The rosette is small, semi-vertical. It is distinguished by juicy white pulp and a pleasant rich taste. The ripening period for Moravia is about 80 days.Important! Moravia is prone to overgrowth.
Moravia has a good harmonious taste
- Gusto. This variety of kohlrabi cabbage takes 75-80 days to ripen. The stem fruit is slightly larger than average, its weight usually ranges from 0.5-0.7 kg. The skin is raspberry, thin. The pulp is white, juicy, with a good mild taste.
The relish has an unusual color - raspberry
- Vienna blue. It takes a little longer to ripen than Vienna White, taking approximately 80 days to reach full ripeness. The color of the skin of the stem fruit is purple, the petioles and leaves have the same shade. The leaves are green, few in number, the rosette is small. The pulp is white, pleasant taste, very juicy.
Vienna Blue - a very famous variety
Mid-season varieties
Mid-season kohlrabi cabbage is more versatile. In addition to eating fresh, it can be canned. It has good keeping quality and transportability.
The most popular varieties:
- Cartago F This is a productive hybrid of Czech selection with a ripening period of about 100 days. It has a vertical rosette of dark green oval leaves covered with a waxy coating. The average weight of stem fruits at maturity is 300 g. They are pale green, with delicate white pulp inside. The taste is pleasant, there is no harshness.Important! The hybrid is resistant to lignification and cracking.
Hybrid Cartago F1 – a gift from Czech breeders
- Blue Planet F The stem fruit of this kohlrabi cabbage hybrid reaches a weight of 0.2-0.25 kg at ripeness. It is round, light green with a bluish-blue tint. The pulp is white, dense, and tastes pleasant. The ripening period for Blue Planet F1 kohlrabi is 110-115 days.
The stem fruit has a very unusual shade - blue
- Vienna Blue. Its ripening period is 90-95 days. The fruits are small, weighing about 0.2 kg, lilac-violet in color with a bluish bloom. The peculiarity is that the stem fruit is located not on the ground, but above it. Because of this, the Vienna Blue almost never outgrows.
Vienna blue grows quite high above the ground
Late ripening varieties
Late varieties of kohlrabi cabbage are the largest in size.Due to their thick skin and dense pulp, they retain their commercial properties for a long time and have an extended shelf life. Late ripening kohlrabi can be canned, industrially processed, or eaten fresh.
Popular varieties:
- Giant. This kohlrabi cabbage is truly gigantic in size. The stem fruit at maturity has a circumference of about 20 cm and can weigh up to 5 kg, while its standard weight is 2.5-3.5 kg. The rosette of leaves is also large, about 0.6 m in diameter. It takes 110-120 days to mature. Gardeners unanimously note the unpretentiousness of the Giant, which can grow in almost any region of Russia.Important! Even with such a significant size, the Giant has a good taste, not inferior to early cabbage.
The giant fully lives up to its name
- Hummingbird. Dutch variety. The leaves are bright green, the rosette is semi-vertical. Ripens in approximately 130-140 days. The stem fruit is oval, purple, with a bluish bloom, its average weight is 0.9-1 kg. The taste is sweetish, soft and delicate, the flesh is very juicy.
Hummingbird - kohlrabi of the Dutch breeding school
- Violet. The round purple stems of this kohlrabi cabbage ripen in 130-135 days. The average weight of each of them is 1.5 kg. The pulp is dense and juicy, with a good mild taste. The variety is resistant to many diseases and unpretentious. Gardeners love it for its high yield, which is about 4 kg per 1 sq. m.
The productive variety Violetta is loved by many summer residents
Rules for storing kohlrabi cabbage
To keep kohlrabi fresh longer, you need not only to prepare the place in advance, but also to harvest the crop on time. Here are some tips to help you do this correctly:
- Kohlrabi is stored for storage on a clear day, when the air temperature drops to + 3-5 °C.
- If long-term storage is planned, then the roots of the stem crops are not cut off. They are pulled out along with the ground, the stems are cut off, leaving small stumps, and then put away for storage.
- Red (purple) varieties of kohlrabi store better than white ones. This must be taken into account when planning planting.
White kohlrabi has a very short shelf life
It is best to store kohlrabi cabbage for a long time in a cellar with a minimum positive temperature and high humidity. Picked heads of cabbage can be stuck with their roots into the sand or hung on ropes by them so that the stems do not touch each other. For short-term storage, the fruits can be placed in wooden boxes. There is no need to wash them.
Before freezing, the vegetable must be grated.
Another way to store kohlrabi cabbage for a long time is deep freezing. In this case, the stem fruits are peeled and grated on a coarse grater. Then the semi-finished product is put into bags and put into the freezer. The shelf life of frozen kohlrabi is 9 months.
Conclusion
Kohlrabi is an excellent garden plant that can be used to prepare a variety of dishes. However, it is worth remembering that the stem of the plant is capable of accumulating nitrates in the same way as the stalk of white cabbage does. Therefore, when cultivating crops, it is advisable not to use nitrate fertilizers.
