out of season

January King Cabbage

Name: January King Cabbage
Brand: LE MARCHE
SKU: JAKICAB650
Price: 3.50 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

£3.50

Net: 800g± Frost Sweetened

A semi-savoy winter cabbage with blue-green and purple leaves that intensify in colour after frost. Cold exposure triggers the plant to convert starch into sugar as a natural antifreeze — the sweetness is chemistry, not marketing. Tender enough to braise, structured enough to hold a sauce.

January King is a semi-savoy cabbage variety (Brassica oleracea) — a cross in character between the tight, smooth head of a standard winter cabbage and the crinkled, looser leaves of a true savoy. The outer leaves are blue-green fading to purple at the edges, with the colour intensifying after exposure to frost. The inner leaves are paler, tightly packed, and tender. It is one of the most visually striking cabbages grown in the UK, and the appearance is not incidental — it signals something about how the cabbage has developed.

The purple pigmentation in the outer leaves is caused by anthocyanins, produced by the plant in response to cold stress. The same cold that triggers the colour change also triggers a biochemical defence mechanism: the cabbage converts stored starches into sugars to lower the freezing point of water in its cells, acting as a natural antifreeze. This is why frost-exposed brassicas taste sweeter than those harvested before the cold arrives — the sweetness is not a marketing claim, it is a measurable increase in sugar concentration driven by the plant's survival chemistry. January King is specifically bred to be harvested through winter for this reason.

The texture sits between a standard green cabbage and a savoy — the leaves have a slight crinkle that gives them more surface area (useful for holding sauces and dressings) but are not as loose or ruffled as a full savoy. Cooked, the cabbage softens to a buttery tenderness without collapsing into mush, which makes it well suited to braising.

Store in the fridge and use within a week. The outer leaves may darken further in storage but the interior remains sound.

Origin: United Kingdom

Ingredients: January King cabbage (Brassica oleracea).

Quarter the head through the core, cut out the tough central stem, and separate or shred the leaves depending on the dish. The outer leaves are tougher and benefit from longer cooking; the pale inner leaves are tender enough to shred raw into a winter slaw.

For braising, cut into thick wedges, sear cut-side down in butter in a hot pan until golden, then add stock (chicken or vegetable), cover, and cook in the oven at 170°C for 25–30 minutes until tender through the core. A splash of cider vinegar or white wine added to the stock cuts through the sweetness.

Shredded and sautéed in butter with caraway seeds, it makes a classic Central European side dish alongside pork or sausages. The leaves also work well in a slow-cooked soup — sweated down with onion and potato, simmered in stock, and blended or left chunky.

Order Cut-Off Times & Delivery Date Selection

Orders placed before 2 PM (Monday to Friday) are dispatched the same day, unless you select a future delivery date at checkout.

Our Delivery Service

We use reliable third-party express courier services and high-quality insulated packaging. While our couriers are generally excellent, occasional delays can happen. We pack everything to stay fresh, even if transit takes a little longer.

Time-Sensitive & Event Orders

Can we guarantee delivery on a specific day? Unfortunately not - we rely on third-party couriers and can't control their schedules. All items leave us in perfect condition with good use-by dates, but final timing depends on the courier.

If your order is for a specific event, let us know in the notes section at checkout. We can often dispatch a day earlier to give you the best chance of timely arrival.

DELIVERY Changes After Dispatch

Once dispatched, your package is with the courier and we're unable to redirect it or change delivery details.

Saturday Delivery

Saturday delivery is available, though please note our couriers don't operate phone support at weekends and our office is closed. For event-critical orders, a weekday delivery gives us more flexibility to help if any issues arise.

Full delivery details and shipping rates: here

Description

January King is a semi-savoy cabbage variety (Brassica oleracea) — a cross in character between the tight, smooth head of a standard winter cabbage and the crinkled, looser leaves of a true savoy. The outer leaves are blue-green fading to purple at the edges, with the colour intensifying after exposure to frost. The inner leaves are paler, tightly packed, and tender. It is one of the most visually striking cabbages grown in the UK, and the appearance is not incidental — it signals something about how the cabbage has developed.

The purple pigmentation in the outer leaves is caused by anthocyanins, produced by the plant in response to cold stress. The same cold that triggers the colour change also triggers a biochemical defence mechanism: the cabbage converts stored starches into sugars to lower the freezing point of water in its cells, acting as a natural antifreeze. This is why frost-exposed brassicas taste sweeter than those harvested before the cold arrives — the sweetness is not a marketing claim, it is a measurable increase in sugar concentration driven by the plant's survival chemistry. January King is specifically bred to be harvested through winter for this reason.