Here’s What 1 Pound of Cabbage Looks Like

To keep my trips to the grocery store efficient, I’ve learned to judge the weight of a variety of fruits and vegetable simply by eye, with one of my favorite vegetables — cabbage — being no exception. So the next time you’re out food shopping, here’s how to pick up a head of cabbage that weighs about one pound — no scale required.

This may come as a surprise, but one pound of cabbage is pretty small — generally only a bit bigger than a softball. Pick one up and it will feel heavy for its size, but that should come as no surprise, given how tightly packed the leaves are in a head. If you’re shopping for one pound of cabbage by weight and aren’t using a scale, the best bet is to purchase on the smaller side.

Our eyes are one of our greatest, most useful tools in the kitchen. They can help us size up everything from the weight of vegetables to the doneness of meat. Educate Your Eye is a series on The Kitchn that teaches you what you need to know to use your eyes for smarter cooking both inside and outside the kitchen.