Tender, healthy, tasty: how to properly store Chinese cabbage?

Chinese cabbage is a plant that is demanding not only in terms of growing conditions, but also in terms of organizing the storage of the harvested crop.

The short shelf life and delicate structure of the vegetable require a serious approach to choosing a method for preserving cabbage, taking into account all the features of this vegetable crop.

We will tell you in the article how to store Chinese cabbage fresh in the refrigerator at home, whether it can be frozen, and what the shelf life of the vegetable is.

Preparing for storage at home

Chinese cabbage represented by a large number of varieties, differing in ripening time:

• early ripening;
• mid-season;
• late ripening.

Variety selection

Early and mid-season varieties are not suitable for long-term storage, but they can be preserved. Late-ripening cauliflower, especially hybrids, is more dense and has better shelf life.

The following varieties have long-term storage, up to 4 months:

• Mojito;
• Market;
• Turquoise and others.

Up to 3 months:

• Orange heart;
• Nika and others.

Many varieties have a short shelf life when fresh. Among them:

• Shanghai;
• Tenderness;
• Richie;
• Hydra and others.

Proper harvesting

For high-quality subsequent storage, cabbage heads must be properly collected. For the middle zone, the harvest, which is planned to be stored fresh, is carried out in September.

Necessary conditions at the time of collection are:

• no frost;
• dry weather.

Over-stayed heads of cabbage are stored worse.

Inspection of heads of cabbage

All harvested Chinese cabbage must be sorted and inspected. Heads of cabbage that meet the following conditions are suitable for storage for future use:

1. Properly formed.
2. Dense.
3. No mechanical or other damage.
4. Not susceptible to pests and diseases.

Rejected specimens can be used for food immediately or made into preparations.

Primary processing

The outer leaves of the head of cabbage are often damaged - then they need to be removed. At the same time, you should not remove too many leaves, since the more of them left, the longer the head of cabbage will lie. After inspection and selection, each vegetable intended for fresh storage should be wrapped in film.

Moisture between cabbage leaves can cause rotting and reduce the shelf life of the vegetable.

Optimal conditions

Beijing cabbage, including its winter varieties, has a delicate structure. Even with minor deviations from the storage conditions, the vegetable quickly deteriorates.

Optimal conditions for Beijing are:

• humidity – 95%;
• temperature – from 0°С to +2°С;
• lack of apple harvest nearby (the limitation is due to the ethylene released by the fruit, which stimulates the withering of vegetables and fruits located close to them);
• good ventilation;
• reliable darkening - with a complete absence of direct sunlight on the vegetables.

Temperature deviation in storage leads to rapid spoilage cabbage, and its unsuitability for consumption:

• when the thermometer readings are above +2°C, intensive germination begins;
• at temperatures below 0°C, freezing of the prepared heads will occur.

The video will tell you about the collection and proper storage of Chinese cabbage:

Methods

Chinese cabbage can be stored fresh or after processing. This requires appropriate conditions.

Fresh in the refrigerator

Chinese cabbage in the home refrigerator in cellophane can be stored in a compartment designed for storing vegetables. If it is not available, a sufficiently large plastic container of suitable size can be used.

Can it be frozen for the winter?

Frozen cabbage can be stored cut or disassembled into individual leaves. When chopped, cabbage is useful for preparing first courses, and frozen in individual sheets - for cabbage rolls.

The vegetables are first washed and dried.. It is advisable to place the chopped Peking soup in separate portioned bags or plastic boxes, so that if necessary, you can use it without defrosting a larger volume than required.

If properly frozen and kept at low temperatures, Chinese cabbage can be stored for a long time - until the next harvest.

At room temperature

Such a delicate vegetable cannot be kept at room temperature for a long time - no more than a few days.

On the balcony

The length of time the cabbage stays on the balcony depends on the arrangement of this room and the conditions created. Before storing, vegetables are wrapped in film and placed in boxes.

With warm glazing, if possible, the temperature should be maintained within the limits acceptable for Beijing. In this case, it is necessary to organize protection from sunlight and air exchange.

On open-type balconies or with cold glazing, cabbage will last until frost sets in. The length of time cabbage spends on the balcony is inferior to the conditions in the cellar and refrigerator.

In the cellar

If you have a cellar, it is possible to store fairly large volumes of crops cabbage But in order for the vegetable to lie well, it is necessary to monitor the conditions in the room. For example, if there is insufficient humidity, place a container of water near the storage area.

Cabbage wrapped in film is placed in wooden boxes. The container does not need to be sealed - vegetables can also be packed in cardboard or plastic boxes.

Alternative options

If there is a large harvest of Chinese cabbage, part of it can be canned or dried.

Dried

Drying cabbage allows you to obtain a semi-finished product that does not take up much space and can be stored at room temperature.

Oven drying:

1. The temperature in the oven is set to a minimum of 50-100°C.
2. Place the chopped cabbage in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
3. Place the baking sheet in the oven.
4. Turn on the “convection” mode, and if it is not there, leave the door ajar.
5. Stir the dried vegetable periodically.
6. After 3 or 4 hours the cabbage will be ready.

In an electric dryer, drying is performed in a similar way:

1. The chopped cabbage is laid out.
2. Set the temperature to +50°C or +60°C.
3. Turn on the device for 5 hours.

After cooling, the product is placed in canvas bags or glass jars. The advantage of storing in fabric packaging is that the workpiece will have air exchange and will not become damp.

If you choose glass containers for storage, then during long-term storage you should periodically open the lid to ventilate the contents.

In pickled

The fermentation of Chinese cabbage is different from that of white cabbage. To prepare you will need:

• cabbage – 5 kg;
• water – 0.3 l;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• sugar – 1 tsp;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• vinegar - ? glasses.

Cooking process:

1. They chop Pekinka.
2. Transfer it to a large container convenient for mixing all the ingredients.
3. Pour in water and vinegar.
4. Add salt and sugar.
5. Squeeze a clove of garlic through a garlic press.
6. Everything is mixed.
7. Compacted.
8. They organize oppression.
9. After 1 day, the cabbage is pierced in several places with a wooden stick.
10. Leave for 1 day.
11. Take it out into the cold.
12. Can they still stand it? month.

Pickled Chinese cabbage for the winter, video recipe:

In the salty

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

• Chinese cabbage (1 kg);
• salt (0.1 kg).

Salting procedure:

1. Rinse the cabbage.
2. Cut the vegetable into pieces (if the head is small, then into quarters), but you can also chop it finely.
3. Add salt.
4. Mix with your hands, lightly mash.
5. Pack tightly into prepared containers.
6. Organize oppression.
7. Leave for up to 4 weeks in cool conditions.
8. Remove the pressure.
9. If necessary, transfer to containers more convenient for storing the product.
10. Store in a cool place.

When salting in glass jars, each kachen should be cut into small pieces.

How long is it stored?

Fresh Chinese cabbage in heads of cabbage can last from 4 weeks to 4 months. This wide range is due to several factors:

• vegetable variety;
• compliance of the variety with climatic conditions;
• quality of heads;
• growing features;
• conditions provided by the storage facility.

Same harvest:

• can last up to 4 months in a cellar with suitable conditions;
• at room temperature in the apartment - a couple of days;
• frozen - until the next harvest;
• dried – up to 2 years;
• in the refrigerator - 3-4 weeks.

Prohibitions

Chinese cabbage is a demanding vegetable. When organizing storage, a number of prohibitions should be taken into account:

1. Whether fresh or cooked, cabbage should not be stored in direct sunlight.
2. At high temperatures (higher than +4°C), the vegetable withers very quickly.
3. Fresh vegetables cannot be stored together with apples - they will quickly spoil.
4. High humidity - about 100% - leads to rotting of the vegetable.
5. The top leaves should not be removed before storage unless they are damaged.

Recommendations

Storage recommendations Chinese cabbage will help to properly manage the harvest and prevent losses:

1. There should be high humidity in the place where fresh produce is stored, but condensation should not be allowed to appear on the heads of cabbage. If this happens, the vegetable is dried and the film is replaced.
2. Periodic inspection of the heads of cabbage will allow you to notice damage in time.
3. Late-ripening varieties, when properly stored, should last for at least a month.
4. If storage conditions are violated, the shelf life of the product is rapidly reduced.
5. If the top leaves of the cabbage begin to wilt, the vegetable should be eaten as soon as possible.

Read about storing different varieties of cabbage Here.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that Chinese cabbage is not a shelf-stable product, it can be stored for several months if the right conditions are provided.

If long-term storage is required, recipes for drying, fermenting and freezing healthy and tasty vegetables will come to the rescue.