There is no point in freezing it unless you have a real glut in your garden. However, it is useful to have some frozen in a made-up dish – such as a red cabbage and apple casserole – or shredded, ready to make such a dish. Select very fresh cabbage with crisp, firm leaves. Avoid any that are discoloured or wilting.

Trim and quarter all varieties. Wash under cold water and pat dry on kitchen paper. Finely shred hard white and red varieties. Cut green varieties into shreds 1 cm/1⁄2 in thick. If making a cabbage dish – like braised red or white cabbage – cook it in your normal way and cool it quickly.

Blanch the raw cabbage in boiling water for 1 minute for hard red or white, 11⁄2 minutes for green. Plunge immediately into a bowl of iced water. Drain and pack in polythene bags. Remove the air, seal, label and freeze. Storage time: 6 months.