Everything to Know About Cooking and Shopping for In Season Kohlrabi

The best way to shop? With the seasons. So, every 2 weeks at Kitchen Stories, we’ll be highlighting a different in-season ingredient along with 3 new recipes. To market, we go!

Kohlrabi is a particularly popular vegetable in Germany. There’s no other country in the world where kohlrabi is cultivated or eaten more, which is why the German name was even adopted to English, Japanese, and Russian.

Kohlrabi is quite cheap, versatile, and full of healthy nutrients, but is often still under appreciated. Time to change that! We’ll tell you everything you need to know about it and share 3 new and tasty recipes for you to get to know the vegetable better.

What’s your favorite recipe with kohlrabi? Tell us in the comments, and upload a picture of your creations for all to enjoy!

1. Hi, My Name is Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a low, stout cultivar of cabbage. Its bulb, which can grow up to 20 cm/8 in. in size, is surrounded by several stems with leaves. The taste of its cream-colored flesh is reminiscent of cabbage, but it tastes rather sweet and nutty.

In addition to the widespread white-green kohlrabi, you can also find blue-violet ones. They are spicier and mostly grown in outdoor cultivations, whilst white-green sorts are often cultivated in greenhouses.

2. When to Buy Kohlrabi

In Germany, kohlrabi can be bought throughout the year. Still, the season to get local kohlrabi lasts from June to November. There are a few early kohlrabi cultivars available already in January, but they get imported from Sicily or the Netherlands. The first opportunity to get German kohlrabi is in April, earliest.

3. How to Buy and Store Kohlrabi

You can spot fresh kohlrabi quite easily. Look for an undamaged, smooth bulb without any cracks, and for crisp, firm leaves. Speaking of—the leaves are the most decisive criteria for finding the freshest kohlrabi. Don’t be tempted by the size of the bulb; the smaller ones are often less woody and much more aromatic.

Kohlrabi that is grown outdoors can be stored in the fridge up to three weeks. When you buy kohlrabi from greenhouses, better eat it within a week. To store it right, remove the leaves from the kohlrabi first and wrap the bulb in a damp kitchen towel.

If you already cut the kohlrabi, just wrap it in plastic wrap. This way, the cut faces won’t dry out. If you blanched the bulb already, you can even freeze it. Kohlrabi leaves only survive for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

4. How to Prepare Kohlrabi

The peels of kohlrabi are not edible, so you’ll want to peel them first using a sharp small knife or a vegetable peeler. Afterwards cut off the root end; if it’s a bit woody, do so more generously.

In order to keep as many nutrients as possible inside, cook the bulb whole for approx. 20 – 30 minutes, then peel if afterwards. Sliced kohlrabi needs to cook for approx. 15 - 20 minutes.

The bulb can be eaten raw, braised, fried, steamed, and more! Stems and leaves can also be eaten (even raw!) so don’t throw them away! Here’s how to eat and prepare them:

5. What to Make Next

Kohlrabi is not just a side dish—it can also be the star of your next meal!

All week long, we’ll be featuring new kohlrabi recipes on Kitchen Stories. Check back to see what’s new, then try one for yourself! Here’s where to start: