Preserving the harvest until spring: at what temperature can and should cabbage be stored?

Cabbage is a storehouse of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fiber. It can remain fresh for several months, but certain conditions must be created for this to happen.

Read the article about the temperature at which different varieties of fresh cabbage can be stored in winter, and what will happen if it increases or decreases during storage.

Optimal temperature indicators for storing fresh vegetables in winter

To keep white cabbage fresh and crispy, it must be stored at a temperature of 0 to +1 degrees. Therefore, for the winter it is put into the cellar.

It is impossible to create such conditions in an apartment. The only available option is a closed cabinet on a glazed loggia. To prevent vegetables from freezing, they are additionally insulated using polystyrene foam.

In the garden, frost-resistant varieties can “survive” even light frosts. The main thing is that the air temperature does not drop below -5 degrees. Harvest after the first frost. A light frost will benefit the heads of cabbage. It will give the leaves a sweetish taste.

Cut heads of cabbage cannot be stored outside at sub-zero temperatures.

If above normal

If the ambient temperature exceeds +1...+3 degrees, then the cabbage will begin to deteriorate. This process cannot be called lightning fast. The vegetable will remain usable for another 1-2 weeks, even if it is stored at home.

Warm air and high humidity levels promote the growth of microbes. Therefore, the vegetables will rot.

If below

The minimum permissible minus values ​​for storing fresh white cabbage are -0.8 degrees. If the temperature drops below, leaf tissues freeze and blackness appears on them.

Experts call such defects “cuffs.” They are the darkened and decomposed internal parts of the head of cabbage. In tightly-headed varieties, “cuffs” form faster than in loose-headed varieties.

Cabbage is 90% water. At sub-zero temperatures, it crystallizes and destroys fibrous cells from the inside, causing the vegetable tissue to soften.

Frozen cabbage (provided there is no rot) can be used to prepare cabbage rolls. Its leaves will become pliable, making it easy to wrap the filling in them. Frozen cabbage should not be consumed fresh.

If it's constantly changing

The crop tolerates constant temperature changes worst of all. Lack of stability leads to rapid spoilage of heads of cabbage. They begin to rot and emit an unpleasant odor.

The most unpretentious varieties

Varieties with tightly fitting 2-3 leaves are subject to long-term storage. The heads of cabbage should be hard, not loose.

It is unacceptable to send rotten and sprouted specimens to the cellar. There should be no soil or signs of disease or damage on them.

The cabbage should be smooth and medium in size. Damaged leaves do not heal, so they must be removed without regret.

Varieties resistant to temperature changes:

1. Present. This variety is grown even in Siberia.
2. Kolobok F1.
3. Alaska F1.
4. Wintering 1474.
5. Morozko.
6. Kharkov winter.

Loose and early ripening varieties are not grown for long-term storage, as they do not tolerate frost well. Even in ideal conditions, the heads of cabbage will last no longer than until the new year.

Features for Beijing

Chinese cabbage is very sensitive to temperature. Depending on environmental conditions, its shelf life will differ:

1. At +20 degrees and above – 24-36 hours.
2. At a temperature of -3...+3 degrees – 14 days.
3. In the freezer – 3 months or more.

Nuances for color

The shelf life of cauliflower directly depends on the air temperature. Fresh cauliflower “feels” best in the cellar.

Main parameters:

1. At 0...+3 degrees (in the refrigerator) – up to 30 days.
2. In the freezer at -18 degrees – 12 months.
3. At -1...0 degrees - from 3 to 7 months.

Helpful information

To keep cabbage fresh as long as possible, The following recommendations should be taken into account:

1. Heads of cabbage should be stored in bulk or in containers, away from fruits that emit ethylene.
2. The air should not only be cool, but also fresh.Poor quality ventilation leads to rapid spoilage of vegetables.
3. The heads of cabbage must be laid with the stump facing up.
4. Vegetables can tolerate short-term cooling to -1.5 degrees, but such a drop in temperature should be short-lived.

Conclusion

Cabbage can be stored for a long time at temperatures not lower than zero and not higher than +1 degrees. In such conditions it remains fresh for several months.

It is not recommended to allow vegetables to freeze or overheat.so as not to provoke their damage.