Pass Notes (27 March) was very unkind about cabbages. Fresh cabbage, shredded and steamed (never boiled), is a wonderful year-round vegetable. It is a misconception that sauerkraut and kimchi are “pickled” cabbage, involving vinegar. To make sauerkraut, cabbage is fermented with just salt as the only added ingredient, while Korean kimchi uses salt, chilli and other spices. The tang comes from lactic acid produced as a natural fermentation by-product: no vinegar is added. Sauerkraut is easy to make, and every autumn we produce around 10kg of it from our allotment cabbages. Sautéed with onion, apple, caraway seeds and a dash of white wine, it is a delicious accompaniment to sausages and pork. It is also rich in vitamin C: Captain Cook served it to his sailors as an alternative to citrus fruits to protect against scurvy.
David Young
Buxton, Derbyshire
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