How you can Retailer Cabbage So It Stays Crisp for Weeks

From crunchy coleslaws to hearty soups, there are such a lot of traditional dishes that depend on cabbage. However first, it is advisable know the way to retailer cabbage if you wish to get essentially the most out of this modest vegetable. How do you retain it from wilting and browning—and might you freeze it for long-term storage? To search out out, we spoke to culinary professionals to discover ways to retailer cabbage the proper approach.

How you can Retailer Cabbage within the Fridge

Whether or not complete or lower, cabbage ought to all the time be saved within the fridge.

Entire Cabbage

Entire, uncut cabbage must be saved in an hermetic container or massive plastic bag within the fridge. Storing it inside a container or bag will assist retain its moisture, says Mike Makuch, M.A.T., CEC, affiliate professor of culinary arts at Johnson & Wales College in Windfall, Rhode Island.

How lengthy complete cabbage lasts: When saved correctly, cabbage can final a very long time within the fridge, as much as two months, says Makuch. However for the very best quality, he says to make use of it inside a month.

Lower Cabbage

After reducing a cabbage, retailer it in an hermetic container or bag. Place it within the coldest a part of your fridge—keep away from storing it on the door, the place temperatures are inclined to fluctuate essentially the most, says Makuch.

How lengthy complete cabbage lasts: Lower cabbage must be used or cooked inside three days based on Makuch.

Pre-Lower Cabbage

When potential, skip the pre-cut cabbage on the grocery retailer. Not solely do pre-cut leaves wilt sooner, however they’re extra more likely to lose vitamins (comparable to vitamin C), per the consultants at Montana State College.

In case you should purchase pre-cut cabbage, retailer it in hermetic container or bag within the fridge.

How lengthy pre-cut cabbage lasts: Use it inside three days or as instructed on the bundle.

Can You Freeze Cabbage?

Whereas it is potential to freeze cabbage and hold it for longer, there are some issues to remember.

First, frozen cabbage ought to solely be used for cooked preparations, comparable to soups and stews. That is as a result of cabbage loses its crunch when it is frozen and thawed, making it much less supreme for uncooked recipes like coleslaw or salads.

It is also essential to blanch cabbage earlier than freezing it. “Blanching will deactivate enzymes [that] trigger taste loss and texture degradation,” explains Makuch. It additionally helps retain the colour of the cabbage whereas eliminating any floor micro organism earlier than storage, he provides.

Here is the way to blanch and freeze cabbage, based on Chayanin “Nin” Pornsriniyom, chef-instructor of plant-based culinary arts on the Institute of Culinary Schooling in New York Metropolis:

1. Wash an entire head of cabbage, then lower it into wedges. You may also shred it.
2. Deliver a pot of water to a boil and add salt.
3. Add the cabbage to the water for one to 2 minutes.
4. Utilizing a slotted spoon, switch the cabbage to an ice bathtub.
5. Drain the cabbage, then dry with a clear material.
6. Pack into hermetic freezer luggage. Seal, date, and place within the freezer.

When packing cabbage into the freezer luggage, be sure you take away extra air and guarantee a good seal. This may assist stop freezer burn, which occurs when meals is uncovered to air within the freezer for a very long time, says Pornsriniyom. This could trigger “the floor moisture of the meals to evaporate, resulting in dehydration and discoloration,” she explains.

5 Ideas for Extra Efficient Cabbage Storage

Choose the freshest cabbage: The freshest cabbage will final the longest. When looking for the vegetable, search for agency heads with a vibrant coloration, says Pornsriniyom. The cabbage must also be freed from blemishes, wilting, or sturdy odors.

Wash your arms: Earlier than dealing with or reducing cabbage, wash your arms for at the very least 20 seconds with heat water and cleaning soap. That is particularly essential whenever you’re dealing with different meals, like uncooked meat. It is the best technique to stop cross-contamination, per the USDA.

Wait to scrub: If potential, keep away from washing cabbage earlier than storing it. The method of washing introduces extra moisture, which might promote the expansion of mould and micro organism, per Makuch. It additionally entails extreme dealing with, which will increase the chance of injury and cross-contamination, he notes.

Lower simply earlier than utilizing: Equally, Makuch recommends avoiding reducing cabbage till you are prepared to make use of it. That is as a result of “lower cabbage can lose moisture sooner and evenly brown on the lower edge,” he says.

Retailer away from ethylene-producing produce: Keep away from fruits or greens that emit ethylene gasoline, comparable to apples, avocados, and bananas. Ethylene gasoline hastens ripening, which might doubtlessly trigger cabbage to spoil sooner.