A few tricks on how best to store cabbage in the refrigerator

It is difficult to organize long-term storage of cabbage in a city apartment. A small volume of vegetables can even be placed in the refrigerator if everything is organized correctly.

Several methods are suitable for this, allowing you to save even chopped or defective vegetables.

We will tell you in the article how to properly and in what form (fresh, stewed, cut, etc.) it is best to store cabbage in the refrigerator, how long the shelf life is and how to extend it.

How to organize storage correctly?

Dense heads of late-ripening varieties that are not damaged are best stored in the refrigerator. The top row of dried leaves needs to be removed. If there is a stem, then it is cut off, leaving no more than a couple of centimeters.

Medium and small cabbage heads are best suited for long-term storage. You will find everything about storing cabbage in given section.

Fresh

Fresh heads of cabbage are best preserved at high humidity and temperatures from -1? C to +3? C. The main task is to avoid rotting of vegetables.

For these purposes, cling film is well suited, in which the cabbage is wrapped before it is placed in the refrigerator. There should be 2-3 layers of film.The tighter the film adheres to the cabbage, the better for storage.

If you store a head of cabbage without packaging - just in the vegetable compartment or on a shelf, the cabbage will not last long. Its upper leaves will begin to wither and will have to be removed.

Another packaging option:

1. Wrap the head of cabbage in paper.
2. Place in a plastic bag.
3. Make small holes in the bag.

The paper will get wet while in the refrigerator. In order to prevent rotting, it will be necessary to regularly replace the paper and bag with new and always dry ones.

Frozen

With low-temperature freezing (about -18? C), the shelf life of the vegetable is 9-12 months. To do this, it is chopped and compactly placed in containers or bags intended for freezing.

In the future, when you need cabbage, you can use it immediately without waiting for pre-defrosting. The stalk is not used for freezing.

Freezing cabbage has its pros and cons. The advantages include the following:

• the possibility of truly long-term preservation;
• preservation of most of the nutrients;
• obtaining a semi-finished product ready for use.

Disadvantages of this method:

• loss of appearance after defrosting;
• suitable only for preparing certain dishes;
• loss of crunch.

This video will show you how to freeze cabbage for the winter:

Cut or shredded

A cracked or cut cabbage head can only be stored in the refrigerator. Wrapping the head of cabbage in cling film will help prevent spoilage of the product.

Despite the packaging, the cut area will dry out over time. Therefore, when cooking, you will have to cut it off.

Storage in a plastic bag is not suitable as an alternative packaging option, as the cabbage will begin to fog up and rot in it.

Stewed

Already cooked, stewed cabbage does not have a long shelf life. It can be stored in the refrigerator for three days. At the same time, the taste of the product will not be affected.

If you need to extend the storage period, then It is better to freeze a freshly prepared and cooled dish. In this case, stewed cabbage can last up to 5-6 months in the freezer.

When freezing a finished dish, you should immediately package it into separate portions to make it convenient to defrost.

Grated, shredded

Already chopped fresh cabbage cannot sit for a long time, even in the refrigerator. Maximum storage under film is 1 day.

Fermented

Sauerkraut can be stored in the refrigerator for several months. This will allow you to use it for food throughout the winter.

The product lasts the longest when frozen. At the same time, you should not allow re-freezing of already thawed vegetables.

This product is best stored at a temperature of 0-+2?C. The containers can be glass jars or enamel pans.Such conditions can be created in the refrigerator, given that a large volume of the prepared product will not fit in it.

Dried

For long-term preservation, excess vegetables can be dried. To do this, the cabbage is pre-cut.

After proper drying, the product is packaged in glass jars and left either in the refrigerator or directly in the room.

This preparation is used primarily for preparing first courses, without additional preliminary processing.

How long can it be stored, and how can I extend it?

Refrigerator conditions are not ideal for long-term storage of fresh cabbage. Without damage, it can be kept for no more than a month if there is no packaging on it, and spoiling leaves are periodically removed from it.

When packaged this way, white cabbage retains its flavor and crunch. Despite careful wrapping, such cabbage should be inspected periodically.

Freezing vegetables significantly extends the storage period by several months.. This storage method can be used both for fresh cabbage and for stewed or fermented cabbage.

If storage conditions are not met, the vegetable will begin to deteriorate within a few days.

Nuances for different types of vegetables

In addition to white cabbage, you can store other types of cabbage in the refrigerator. They need certain conditions and are more demanding in terms of maintenance.

Recommendations

Expert tips for storing cabbage in the refrigerator will help you deal with the issue as efficiently as possible:

1. When planning to stock up on vegetables, you should take into account the amount of free space in the refrigerator that can be allocated for cabbage.
2. If you need to store vegetables for a long time, until spring, then the refrigerator will not help with this. The exception is freezing.
3. The shelf life of a head of cabbage with defects or with cut sections is significantly less than that of whole ones.
4. Wet heads of white cabbage should not be placed in the refrigerator without first drying them.
5. If the vegetable is already frozen, it will not be stored.
6. Fresh cabbage is best stored in the refrigerator whole, not cut.
7. The duration of storage of fresh heads of cabbage depends not only on the conditions, but also on the type of vegetable. Early and mid-ripening ones last less in the refrigerator than late-ripening ones.
8. Substandard specimens can be used for preservation and stewing.
9. You can freeze not only shredded cabbage, but also separated into individual leaves, if the preparation is intended for preparing cabbage rolls. After thawing, these leaves become soft and pliable—pre-boiling is no longer required.
10. Exceeding the storage temperature can lead to rapid rotting of the heads of cabbage.

Conclusion

Storing cabbage in the refrigerator can be quite successful if you take into account all the subtleties of organization. One of these points is protection against water condensation on the vegetable.