Autolysis of fresh cabbage at its unadjusted pH (5.6-6.3) gave a preponderance of nitriles instead of the related isothiocyanates and goitrin. These latter compounds were the products when the same cabbage was air-dried prior to autolysis (pH 5.8-6.3). In addition to l-cyano-2-hydroxy-3-butene and the two forms of l-cyano-2-hydroxy-3,4-epithiobutane from breakdown of the progoitrin glucosinolate, other nitriles identified in the preparations were l-cyano-2,3-epithiopropane, l-cyano-3,4-epithiobutane, l-cyano-3-methylthiopropane, l-cyano-3-methylsulfinylpropane, l-cyano-4-methylthiobutane, 1 cyano-4-methylsulfinylbutane, and phenylethyl cyanide. Gas chromatographic evidence was obtained for the presence of 1-cyano-3-methylsulfinylpropane in commercial preparations of sauerkraut. Under optimum conditions for goitrin formation, six accessions that included red cabbage and Brussels sprouts were hydrolyzed to yield goitrin ranging from 5 to 61 ppm of fresh weight.