How to store cabbage in the refrigerator? How long can she lie in a cold place? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Cabbage is a product that everyone loves. It is familiar, relatively cheap, extremely common. Cabbage is suitable for pickling, stewing, baking delicious casseroles, making first courses. That is why every modern housewife wants to know how to store cabbage in the refrigerator correctly. We will clarify all the nuances of this process below.
A little about cabbage
Cabbage in Europe was considered the main vegetable before potatoes were discovered. It does not apply to overseas vegetables. The past of cabbage is very bright and rich. She was depicted even on old canvases. This vegetable began its journey from Ancient Greece and then spread throughout Europe. Cabbage is in any European national cuisine.
Cabbage contains a lot of protein, much more than other vegetables. Proteins are considered essential amino acids. They are necessary for the growth and reconstruction of tissue, thyroid gland, adrenal glands and kidneys, hematopoiesis.
The cabbage has a long shelf life, so the vitamins that are in its composition can be stored until the next harvest. This vegetable has an attractive vitamin U, with the help of which colitis, lethargy of the intestine and gastritis, duodenal ulcer and stomach can be treated. Vitamin C in it is no less than in citrus. And vitamin K heals wounds, normalizes metabolism, forms healthy teeth and bones, and helps the liver work.
Nutritionists recommend the use of sauerkraut, as it is considered extremely useful.
Savings conditions
What are the terms and conditions of storage of white cabbage? This vegetable can be saved from 4 to 5 months in suitable conditions. The best temperature is considered to be from -1 to 0 ° C, stable humidity should be 90-95%.
If cabbage is stored at positive temperature, then the moisture content of the air should be 80-85%. During storage, you need to check the vegetable sometimes and remove damaged leaves. If you tightly wrap the heads in newsprint, they can be kept in a cool and dry room. They need to be placed at a small distance from each other.
Cabbage life depends on the conditions of conservation and its variety. Whatever storage method you choose, it is recommended to leave the cobs longer.
How to store in the refrigerator?
Few people know how to store cabbage in the refrigerator. Due to low temperatures, this method of its conservation is considered the most optimal. In cold conditions, cabbage can be stored for a very long time. In this case, it is only important to protect it from moisture. We suggest you to learn some tricks:
- It is preferable to save cabbage in polyethylene on the top shelf of the refrigerator, since real cold reigns there.
- Choose springy heads of cabbage with sturdy leaves, as they are stored better.
- Only store dry heads of cabbage for storage. It is necessary to wrap them tightly with cellophane in 2-3 layers, without leaving air spaces between the leaves and the film.
- Before saving, cut off the tainted places and dents, cut off the stump so that it is flush with the leaves.
If you prevent water from entering the surface of the cabbage, it can keep freshness for a long time in the refrigerator. If you wrap the cabbage with cellophane, it will be stored in the refrigerator for 20-30 days, without a film, under such conditions, it can only lie for 2-3 days.
In the freezer
We continue to find out how to store cabbage in the refrigerator. Can white cabbage be frozen? When choosing this storage method, you need to remember that frozen cabbage is used only for certain types of dishes. The benefits of freezing are as follows:
- ready-made semi-finished product;
- quick defrost;
- storage duration;
- saving the healing qualities of a vegetable.
The disadvantages of freezing are:
- slight loss of primary appearance;
- vegetable loses crunch.
How to freeze?
How to store cabbage in the refrigerator in the freezer? You can freeze the vegetable in small pieces, whole heads of cabbage and pre-chopped. When freezing pieces of cabbage, you need to peel the upper leaves, rinse, cut the stalk, divide into parts. If you are storing leaves, boil them well in advance and dry them. Next, the finished portions are placed in containers or bags and sent to the freezer.
Do you want to freeze whole heads of cabbage? Choose only intact, healthy vegetables, no insects. Then remove the top leaves from the cabbage, rinse it with water and pat dry. Head of cabbage can be wrapped in cellophane, and then placed in the freezer.
Many people ask: “Can I store cabbage in the refrigerator?” Yes, of course you can. Slaw cabbage is the most popular way of saving. The vegetable must be washed and cleaned of damage and upper layers, chopped, put into bags and sent to the freezer.
How much is cabbage stored in the refrigerator in the freezer? The vegetable can be there for 9 to 12 months at a temperature of no higher than -18 ° C.
Storage at home temperature
The question of storing cabbage at home is of interest to many. After all, not every thrifty person has a cellar. But what if there is no refrigerator? Room temperature is far from the best condition for saving cabbage. In this case, the vegetable will quickly lose its appearance and deteriorate, so its shelf life is significantly reduced.
At home, cabbage can be saved on a well-insulated balcony or in the pantry. You can leave the vegetable unchanged, or you can wrap it in paper or polyethylene to protect it from external influences.
During such storage, do not stack the forks tightly to each other, there must be a small distance between them to ensure air circulation. At home temperature, the cabbage has a shelf life of 4-6 months. The temperature should not be higher than +15 ° C.
But in the cellar cabbage (late varieties) can lie from 6 to 7 months. Early varieties can be saved no more than 3 months.
Harvesting Cauliflower
How to store cauliflower in the refrigerator? This vegetable is the second most popular species grown in Russia. Of course, white cabbage takes the first place. An important point in saving cauliflower is the time it is harvested. It is important to remember several canons:
- You need to collect the heads during growth. When their diameter reaches 8-12 cm, by weight this will turn out to be about 300-1200 g. If the vegetable is overripe, it will lose most of its taste and healthy properties. Such a plant will be crumbly and yellowed.
- During harvesting, cauliflower must be carefully cut with a knife, leaving 2-4 leaves. If she has shoots, you can try to grow new inflorescences. To do this, leave a couple of strong shoots, and eliminate the rest. Take care of the vegetable in the same way as with a simple planting.
- Do not leave cut heads in direct sunlight. Otherwise, they will turn yellow, and they will not be able to eat.
Cauliflower in the fridge
If you decide to send the cauliflower for storage in the refrigerator, first remove its leaves and roots, and then place it in a plastic bag. One head should be in one package. You can wrap cauliflower heads in polyethylene. Unfortunately, this option will extend the life of the vegetable for only a week.
It should be noted that in the cellar at 0 ° C and 95% humidity, cauliflower can be stored for up to seven weeks. It only needs to be placed in plastic or wooden boxes and covered with cling film. When suspended, at the same humidity and temperature, cauliflower can be stored for up to three weeks.
Freezing Cauliflower
Freezing is the longest and most reliable way of saving cauliflower. Of course, this is not a fresh vegetable, but delicious dishes can be eaten for at least six months.
You can freeze both slightly boiled cabbage and fresh. First, the heads should be washed and disassembled into smaller inflorescences. Then drain the water, and dry the cabbage. The method of boiling (blanching) cabbage is the same as for kohlrabi.
Cauliflower prepared in this way can be stored for 6 to 12 months in a separate bag in the freezer.
Saving other types of cabbage
Beijing cabbage at home can only be stored in the refrigerator. It must be wrapped in cellophane and sent to the vegetable department. Kohlrabi cabbage can also be stored in the refrigerator. However, she is not able to lie so all winter. This type of cabbage "stale" very quickly, so it has a minimum shelf life in fresh form.
Broccoli cabbage in the refrigerator can be saved for a very short time, and its storage method is not the same as that of others. It is forbidden to wash broccoli before placing it in the refrigerator, it is better to do it immediately before use. In this case, follow these steps:
- Put each unit in a separate bag. Do not close it.
- Place a damp cloth on the bottom of the vegetable box in the refrigerator.
- Put open bags with broccoli on a cloth.
Thus, increased humidity is created in the place of saving, so that broccoli can lie longer. Remember that saving cabbage in the refrigerator, wrapped in polyethylene, is the most reliable way, and at home temperature - the most careless.
Kohlrabi can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month, Beijing cabbage and broccoli - a maximum of 15 days. Frozen cabbage of any kind is saved up to 10 months, and dried cabbage - up to 12 months.
To keep cabbage in polyethylene longer, check for condensation inside the film. If water droplets appear between the cellophane and the head, change the cling film. To do this, you need to deploy a head of cabbage, throw out polyethylene, dry the cabbage and wrap it in a new film. Do this every time condensation appears.