A storehouse of vitamins: how to store Brussels sprouts until spring?

Brussels sprouts are considered the most healthy member of the cruciferous family. It contains phosphorus and iron, vitamin C, PP, B1, B2, B6 and more.

Every person who cares about their health should regularly include this vegetable in their diet.

Unfortunately, Brussels sprouts do not grow year-round. The harvest in Russia is traditionally harvested in the fall.

Read the article on how to properly store Brussels sprouts and get the benefits from them before spring.

Preparing for winter storage at home

You need to make sure that Brussels sprouts are well stored at the harvest stage.

Variety selection

Not all varieties of Brussels sprouts store equally well. This must be taken into account when choosing seeds for planting.

If you plan to store the crop all winter, You should opt for varieties such as:

• Hercules;
• Casio;
• Curl;
• Sapphire;
• Sanda.

These varieties are late ripening. They are collected at the end of autumn. Such cabbage can remain in the beds even under snow.

Different varieties are stored separately from each other. Otherwise, you may lose the entire harvest.

Preparing the vegetable

To store cabbage fresh, you do not need to wash it.The main thing is to sort the vegetables, selecting rotten and soft specimens. Dense large heads of cabbage, the diameter of which is at least 3 cm, are left for the winter. A couple of leaves are removed only from the lower forks, since most often they do not fit well to them.

Loose and soft cabbage is not suitable for long-term storage. It needs to be processed first.

Methods and rules

Brussels sprouts are stored in different ways. The heads of cabbage are frozen, lowered into the basement, buried in a trench. Each method has its own characteristics that you need to know about.

Fresh in the refrigerator

In the refrigerator, store Brussels sprouts in the vegetable drawer. It would be wrong to just dump the heads of cabbage in a pile; they need to be packed.

Procedure:

1. The forks are not washed, the soil is simply removed from them and placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. During this time they will cool down, due to which less condensation will accumulate in the bag.
2. When the heads of cabbage have cooled, they are placed in plastic bags, which are tied tightly, expelling excess air.
3. Using a toothpick, make several holes in them. They are necessary so that the cabbage can breathe and moisture does not accumulate inside.
4. The heads of cabbage prepared in this way are put away for storage.

Brussels sprouts will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2 months. A significant disadvantage of this storage method is that large volumes cannot be stored in a vegetable drawer.

A certain microclimate is created and maintained in the packaging, in which the heads of cabbage feel good and do not spoil for a long time.

In the freezer

Vegetables last the longest in the freezer. If everything is done correctly, the cabbage will be edible for a year.

Procedure:

1. Remove the heads of cabbage from the stem.
2. Soak them in cool salted water for 15 minutes. This will disinfect the forks and bring out pests that often hide under the leaves. All hidden insects will float to the surface.
3. After 5 minutes, the forks are dipped into boiling water and then into ice water.
4. The heads of cabbage treated in this way are placed on a paper towel to dry completely.
5. Dry cabbage is placed in a storage container, the air is expelled from it and put in the refrigerator.

You can store heads of cabbage in vacuum packaging, in ordinary plastic bags or in plastic containers.

If you do not dry the cabbage after processing and immediately put it in the freezer, then its leaves will freeze. That's why you definitely need to spend 15 minutes drying the forks.

In the basement

There are several options for storing Brussels sprouts in the basement, namely:

1. In limbo. In this case, the heads of cabbage are not removed from the stems; only the leaves are torn from them. Hang them upside down.

   When all the trunks are in place, they are wrapped in cling film. If condensation forms under it, it must be replaced. Otherwise, the vegetables will begin to rot.

2. In sandboxes. For storage in sand, the roots are not removed from the stems. The leaves are cut from them and planted in prepared containers. The sand needs to be slightly moistened.
3. Bulk, in empty boxes. The forks are removed from the stems, cleaned of obvious contamination and placed in a clean container.The heads of cabbage should be placed tightly to each other so that as little moisture evaporates from them as possible. The top of the box is covered with cardboard. It should not be sealed to prevent mold from growing inside.

It is not recommended to wash the forks before storing the cabbage in the cellar. They are covered with a natural protective layer, the removal of which negatively affects the shelf life of cabbage.

On the balcony

If there are no other options, the crop is left to winter on the balcony. This is possible provided that the loggia is glazed.

In the open air, cabbage will simply freeze. If the temperature is maintained at a stable temperature, it can be stored in sand, in cling film, or on stems.

In the trench

This method allows you to save space in the refrigerator and in the cellar. Features of storing vegetables in a trench:

1. Dig the entire bush out of the ground.
2. Prepare the trench.
3. Place the plants in it so that they do not come into contact with each other.
4. Fill the trench with sand and insulate it with straw.

If the air temperature does not fall below -5 degrees and rise above +3 degrees, then the cabbage will remain fresh for 5 months.

Other options

Brussels sprouts are delicious not only when eaten fresh. Part of the harvested crop can be stored in the form of preparations. There are excellent recipes for pickling and pickling this healthy vegetable.

Pickling

Small and dense heads of cabbage up to 4 cm in size are suitable for pickling. The preparations will require the following ingredients:

• cabbage – 1 kg;
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
• water – 1 l.

Step-by-step algorithm of actions:

1. Wash the cabbage and place it in boiling water for 3 minutes.
2. Sterilize the jars and place the prepared heads of cabbage in them.
3. Prepare the brine: bring water to a boil, add salt.
4. Pour it into jars and close them with a nylon lid.

Store salted cabbage in the refrigerator. In this form, it will remain edible for 4 months. If desired, you can add allspice and garlic to the brine.

Pickling

To marinate small forks, you will need the following components:

• cabbage – 1 kg;
• water – 1 l;
• sugar and salt - 2 tbsp each. l.;
• ground black pepper - ? tsp;
• table vinegar – 250 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the cabbage, removing all dirt from it.
2. Cut the forks into 2 parts and compact them into a sterilized jar.
3. Prepare the marinade: add salt, pepper and sugar to boiling water.
4. Pour boiling water over the cabbage, cover the jar with an iron lid and sterilize for 20 minutes.
5. Roll up the jars, turn them upside down, cover with a blanket and wait until they cool completely.

Deadlines

Depending on the storage conditions, the shelf life will vary. cabbage:

• at a temperature of +3...+5 degrees – 2 months;
• at a temperature of + 10 degrees – no more than a month;
• frozen – up to a year;
• in the cellar at a temperature of 0...+3 degrees - up to 5 months.

Fresh cabbage is best stored in the refrigerator, cellar and trench.

Helpful information

To keep Brussels sprouts from spoiling for as long as possible, the following recommendations must be adhered to:

1. At least once a month, the harvest harvested for storage in the cellar must be inspected. Rotten and diseased fruits are immediately thrown away.
2. Thawed Brussels sprouts cannot be re-frozen.
3. If the vegetables did not have time to ripen in the garden before the onset of cold weather, there is no need to be upset. They are dug out along with the soil, placed in suitable containers and put in a warm place where they will “reach”.
4. Frozen cabbage heads do not need to be thawed before cooking. They are immediately dipped into boiling water or placed on a heated frying pan.

You can learn about storing different varieties of cabbage from this section.

Conclusion

You can store Brussels sprouts in different ways:

• in a refrigerator,
• in the cellar,
• in the freezer and more.

If you approach the issue of storing cabbage heads wisely, you can benefit from them until the weather warms up.