A cabbage head bundles healthy fibers, minerals, and vitamin K. Most importantly, it has antioxidant properties which help fight cancer and are very good for our bodies .
Cabbages come in different colors like green, purple and red. It can be cooked in a variety of dishes which makes it a very adaptable and handy vegetable for daily cooking. Moreover, you can buy this vegetable in whatever season of the year and it is very cheap.
Unfortunately for us, we oftentimes ignore this healthy cruciferous vegetable because we do not know how to store it properly. So, this article will give you the best ideas on how to upkeep and store cooked or uncooked cabbages.
Can I Freeze Cabbages?
Certainly, cabbages can be frozen even if they are raw or slightly cooked. Slightly cooked or blanched cabbages can be stored in your freezer and will still be good for consumption within 9 months whereas raw cabbages will only be good until 8 weeks. Also, do not forget to thoroughly wash raw cabbages before freezing them.
Also, here are what you should know about handling cabbages.
The Complete Guide to Freezing Cabbage
Cabbages are considered one of the healthiest vegetables, and we are even advised to eat it almost every day.
Although it is available all year round, keeping it on your fridge can be handy for everyday cooking. Compared to other vegetables, cabbage can be kept fresh much longer inside a refrigerator.
Proper Storage and Care of Cabbage
Cabbages are certainly easy to package and store in the fridge. Storing sliced or shredded cabbages, or a whole cabbage head will remain edible when kept in a fridge provided it is correctly and neatly packaged. It should always be packed such that no oxygen or air can sip in to prevent bacterial growth.
There are many existing types of food wraps that you can use to store cabbages like plastic wrap or reusable organic food wrap, and they are all readily available even in online stores like Amazon.
Store cabbages in the refrigerator for 5 days. Keep cabbages in the fridge until 5 days to have it handy for cooking, but if you need it to have a longer shelf life you can just keep it frozen until you need to cook it. Here are more tips for storing cabbage in the refrigerator.
Storing Cabbage in the Refrigerator
- Tightly wrap the cabbage before putting in the refrigerator. It is best to wrap the cabbage tightly using food wrap to ensure that no oxygen or air can sip it which can cause the growth of bacteria. Be sure to peel off the top layer of the cabbage that already show discoloration or decay before wrapping it.
- Be sure to place the wrapped cabbages in the vegetable crisper section of your refrigerator. It can stay edible for 3 weeks to a month when properly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator.
- When preparing the cabbage after storage in your fridge, whether it is a whole cabbage head or already sliced in halves, it is recommended to remove the first layer of the cabbage to ensure goodness.
How To Freeze Cabbage: The Best Way
You can store raw cabbages in the refrigerator’s vegetable crisper section or keep blanched cabbages in the freezer for some time until you need it. Some said that freezing blanched or slightly cooked cabbages has longer shelf life than raw cabbages.
How to Freeze Cabbage After Blanching It (Recommended)
It is recommended to store blanched cabbages for longer shelf life. You can opt to freeze blanched cabbages instead of keeping it raw, in that case here are what you need to do.
- Wash cabbage thoroughly. If you want to store a whole cabbage head in your refrigerator, you need to clean it well. Wash it and rinse it for a few minutes to ensure that dirt and other unwanted cling-on is removed. For best cleansing strategy, you may add baking soda to the water for rinsing.
I assumed that you were able to soak and rinse the cabbage before slicing or shredding so it is well enough to be stored in the fridge.
- Portion sliced or shredded cabbages. Although it is best to store a whole cabbage head with its bulb, you can portion it by slicing or shredding. After slicing or shredding the cabbage, package it in the amount you will just need for next cooking.
- Blanched cabbages before storing. Slightly cook the cabbages for a minute or two then immediately soak it in cold water after cooking. Drain it well before packing and storing it in your fridge.
- Pre-free cabbages using baking sheets. Pre-freezing is good for shredded cabbages before portioning them into containers or food wraps. You need not do this if you are storing a whole cabbage head.
- Wrap cabbages in plastic food wrap. Wrap cabbages in an airtight plastic wrap to ensure that no air can sip in which can cause bacterial growth. This is good for storing cabbages in the fridge.
- Label stored cabbages. After sealing your cabbages and having it ready for storage, adding label can help you track its shelf life. Write the date when it is best to cook.
Frozen blanched cabbages can be good up to nine months. Labelling them will help you know which one should be consumed first over the other thus you can avoid wastage.
How To Freeze Cabbage Without Blanching It
Storing raw cabbages is easier than blanching before storing though it has a shorter shelf life compared to slightly cooked cabbages when stored in the refrigerator.
These are the steps for freezing raw cabbages.
- Wash cabbage thoroughly like what you should do if you chose to blanch it.
- Package it suitably whether you want to keep the cabbage as a whole head, shredded or diced.
- Shredded or sliced cabbages will do well if you pre-freeze them using baking sheets before packing them and storing them in the freezer.
- Use airtight food wrap or tightly sealed containers to package cabbages to be store in the fridge. You can also use resealable freezer bags.
- Label the cabbage packaging after sealing them. Know the date when it is still best to cook.
Remember that raw cabbages can be stored until 8 weeks in your refrigerator.
How To Use Frozen Cabbage: Do You Have To Thaw It?
Refrigerated cabbages are very handy to use. You can just unwrap shredded or sliced cabbages and put it your recipe. If it is a whole cabbage head, you can directly cut it right after removing the wrap then add it to the food you are cooking.
Cooking with Frozen Cabbage
Frozen cabbages need to be thawed for a few minutes before you can prepare it for cooking. For faster thawing remove the wrap of the cabbage or open sealed container.
Culinary with Cabbages
Here are some recipes where you can use raw or cooked cabbages.
You probably cooked some of these recipes.
- Coleslaw on burgers or as side dish
- Pork and cabbage stir fry
- Kielbasa and cabbage skillet
- Cabbage rolls or wraps
- Beef brisket with cabbage
- Cabbage on salads
- Un-stuffed cabbage casserole
- Sautéed cabbages
- Cabbage soup
- Grilled cabbage with dressing
Those are just some of the good recipes with cabbage. Cabbages are not only delicious on dishes but also very healthy and can taste well in a variety of dishes.
Here are your instructions for sautéing cabbage:
- Prepare a cup of oil, shredded or diced cabbages, seasoning to suit your taste, and some meat.
- Heat up a pan and pour the cup of oil.
- Sauté the meat until it is well cooked.
- Add the seasoning to taste.
- Add the cabbage and stir every after 30 seconds until it turned slightly yellowish.
- Serve it while it is hot.
Related Questions about Cabbage
I want this article about freezing cabbages to be informative as much as helpful. I hope you were able to gain ideas on caring and storing cabbages and learn some of its health benefits.
What Are Some Health Benefits of Cabbage?
Cabbages fall under the cruciferous vegetable family like kale and broccoli. It has high vitamin K content with other vitamins and minerals. It is a good antioxidant and helps fight cancer. It is also good for the digestive system due to its fiber content and prevent heart diseases.
What is the Difference Between Red and Green Cabbage?
Green cabbage is the variety of cabbage most people eat but regardless of the color, cabbages are rich in vitamins K, C, B6, manganese and other important minerals. All variety of cabbages are good for the digestive and cardiovascular systems.
How Can You Tell if Cabbage is Bad?
Cabbage that feels or looks slimy and has a brownish color is usually nearing decay. Check your cabbage for these signs and if so, it is not good to eat anymore.
