Cabbage

Commodity Overview

Place cabbage heads butt down to create a uniform and appealing display. Get shoppers thinking about cabbage in new ways by including it in regular promotions throughout the year.

PLUs

3051 spring
3397 summer
4069 green
4552 Chinese/napa
4554 red
4555 savoy, green
3396 savoy, red

Varieties

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, which means it comes with a host of health benefits. Cruciferous vegetables are known to help fight cancer. Cabbage is a digestive tract cleaner, which can help improve digestion. Cabbage is known to be high in vitamin C, which offers a variety of health benefits, and it also contains vitamin K, which has been shown to improve mental function.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for cabbage: fat-free, saturated fat-free, very-low-sodium, cholesterol-free, low in calories and high in vitamin C.

Sales Strategies

Cabbage’s versatility sets it up well for cross-merchandising opportunities. Consider pairing cabbage with lettuce, salad mixes, salad dressing, oriental vegetables and spring roll wrappers.
Cabbage is available year-round, so offer year-round promotions.
Fall: Include cabbage in fall soup displays and game-day promotions. Cabbage is a common base for slaws that can be served at football game-day parties.
Winter: Don’t miss the opportunity to promote cabbage during the Chinese New Year holiday for those wanting to make their own spring rolls. Give it an extra push during the winter holidays as it can be a tasty addition to soups and salads.
Spring: St. Patrick’s Day is when cabbage really shines. Offer corned beef and cabbage specials around the March 17 holiday. Cinco de Mayo is another spring opportunity to promote cabbage as an alternative to lettuce.
Summer: Include cabbage in summertime grilling promotions as a reminder to serve slaw as a side dish at summertime picnics.

Dynamic Displays

Red cabbage offers a striking color break from all the green in the produce department. Display it together with green cabbage to create an attractive display that offers your consumers everything they need to meet their cabbage needs.
Keep those cabbage heads dry. Misting cabbage will make its short shelf life even shorter.
Place cabbage heads butt down to create a uniform and appealing display.
Include shredded cabbage on your display to appeal to those looking to make their own homemade slaw but don’t want to go lose the time needed to shred it.

Food Service

Use the sturdy leaves of the cabbage head to create wraps for carb-conscious consumers. You can also use the leaves as an attractive plate garnish.
Include cabbage in soups and stews. Shredded cabbage adds flavor and texture to stir-fries.
Use cabbage as a base for salads and include it in your salad bar mix.
Boiled cabbage is a tradition on St. Patrick’s Day. Whip up a corned beef and cabbage special for that day.

In the Backroom

Shipping
2,000-lb. bulk bins 1,000-lb. bulk bins 50 to 60-lb. flat crates 50-lb. cartons/mesh sacks 50-lb. 11⁄2 bushel crates 45-lb. cartons 20-lb. cartons (savoy) RPC 6428 Consumer packs 10-oz. bags coleslaw 1-lb. bags coleslaw 1-lb. bags shredded cabbage Value-added packs Coleslaw, diced cabbage and shredded red cabbage are packed in two 10-lb. bags per carton or in four 5-lb. bags per carton.

Grades
United States U.S. No. 1 U.S. commercial

Handling
Heads with some outer leaves separated from the stem and held in place only by natural folding over the head may have an undesirable flavor or coarse texture. Provide adequate ventilation. Cabbage loses moisture easily and will wilt if retained at room temperature. Cabbage may be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for about a week. Temperature: 32 F, 0 C Relative humidity: 98-100% Mist: yes Typical shelf life: 90 to 180 days Ethylene-sensitive. Do not store or transport with commodities that produce ethylene. Odor-sensitive. Do not store or transport with commodities that produce odors, such as apples and pears.