Vegetables Produce Facts English
Cabbage (Round & Chinese types)
Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality
![]() Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis
Maturity & Quality
General Information Round hard cabbages and Chinese (also called Napa) cabbages are from the same genus (Brassica) but different species (B. oleracea var capitata = cabbage, B. campestris var. pekinensis = Chinese cabbage). Chinese cabbages may be cylindrical or rounded and may be less compact than round cabbages. Information mentioned here applies to both types unless stated otherwise. Maturity Indices Maturity is based on head compactness. A compact head can be only slightly compressed with moderate hand pressure. A very loose head is immature, and a very firm or hard head is mature. After trimming outer wrapper leaves, cabbage heads should be a color typical of the cultivar (green, red, or pale yellow-green), firm, heavy for the size and free of insect, decay, seed stalk development and other defects. Leaves should be crisp and turgid. For round cabbages, grades are U.S. No. 1 and U.S. commercial.
Temperature & Controlled Atmosphere
Optimum Temperature Most cabbage is room cooled. Storage at 0°C (32°F) is required to optimize cabbage storage life. Early crop round cabbage can be stored 3-6 weeks, while late crop cultivars can be stored for up to 6 months. For the latter, storage at -0.5°C (31°F) is sometimes recommended. Chinese cabbage can be stored from 2 to 6 months, depending on cultivar, at 0°C to 2.5°C (32°F to 36°F). Deterioration of cabbage during storage is associated with stem or seed stalk growth (bolting), root growth, internal breakdown, leaf abscission, discoloration, decay and black speck. Long-term storage usually results in extensive trimming of heads to remove deteriorated leaves. Optimum Relative Humidity >95% Round and Chinese cabbages have similar moderately low respiration rates:
To calculate heat production multiply mL CO2/kg·hr by 440 to get Btu/ton/day or by 122 to get kcal/metric ton/day. Rates of Ethylene Production Ethylene production rates are generally very low: Responses to Ethylene Cabbages are sensitive to ethylene, which causes leaf abscission and leaf yellowing. Adequate ventilation during storage is important to maintain very low ethylene levels. Ethylene does not increase the disorder "black speck" or "pepper spot". Some benefit to shelf-life can be obtained with low O2 (2.5-5%) and high CO2 (2.5-6%) atmospheres at temperatures of 0-5°C (32-41°F). CA storage will maintain color and flavor of cabbage, retard root and stem growth, and reduce leaf abscission. O2 atmospheres below 2.5% for round cabbage and 1% for Chinese cabbage will cause fermentation, and CO2 atmospheres >10% will cause internal discoloration. Temperature & Controlled Atmosphere Photos
Disorders
Physiological and Physical Disorders
Date
August 2001 |
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How to Cite
Author(s) names. Initial publication or update date (located at the top). Title. Link to the specific Produce Fact Sheet webpage (Accessed date)
Example: Cantwell, M. and T. Suslow. 2002. Lettuce, Crisphead: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality.
http://ucanr.edu/sites/Postharvest_Technology_Center_/Commodity_Resources/Fact_Sheets/Datastores/Vegetables_English/?uid=19&ds=799 (Accessed January 18, 2014).