How to store cabbage so it stays fresh longer

White cabbage is one of those vitamin, favorite and versatile vegetables that do not leave our tables all year round. What are the conditions for storing cabbage are optimal and whether it is possible to save it in an apartment, read in our life hacks.

Whichever method you choose, there are general recommendations on how to store cabbage so that it as long as possible did not lose its properties.

Storage conditions for cabbage

1. For long term storage, select medium grades
   cabbages that can lie down for 2-3 months, and late
   – retaining their properties for six months and even a year.
2. If before picking cabbage stood rainy season
   or vegetables were poured with water, its keeping quality will be less than in dry weather.
3. Cabbage, which has received a bust, is also poorly stored. nitrogen fertilizers
   because it forms a loose head of cabbage, which subsequently quickly rots.
4. To preserve the crop longer, it is better to cut the cabbage in dry sunny day
   . In this case, it is not necessary to completely cut off the stalk, it is better to leave a length of 5-8 cm from the place of attachment of the covering leaves. The outer leaves themselves become a defense against disease, so they do not need to be removed.
5. Preparation for storage is already at harvest time. cabbage should immediately sort
   , selecting whole, tight, correctly formed heads without signs of damage by diseases and pests. And it is better to put the rejected heads of cabbage into processing, preserve and pickle.
6. The optimal temperature for storing cabbage – from 0 to +1°C
   . Humidity should be 80-95%
   the smaller it is, the faster the outer leaves of the cabbage will dry out.
7. Store cabbage in a ventilated area. separate from other vegetables and fruits
   .

How to store cabbage: life hacks

• Life hack 1. In the fridge

How to store cabbage / Photo: Pinterest

If you need to save several heads, wrap each one in cling film or paper and ship to department for vegetables
with the selected minimum temperature. When condensation forms, the film is changed.

• Life hack 2. On the balcony

How to store cabbage / Photo: Pinterest

Heads of cabbage are also wrapped in film or paper, and insulated with foam are prepared for storage on a balcony or loggia. boxes or crates
. Then wrapped in a blanket.

• Life hack 3. Hang up

How to store cabbage / Photo: Pinterest

So cabbage is convenient to store in a cool pantry or cellar. To do this, the cabbage must be not cut to the very head
, but had a stalk, for which it is suspended. It can be tied around the leg or pierced with a hook. Then the vegetables cling to the crossbar or the edges of the shelves so that they do not touch each other.

• Life hack 4. In the sand

How to store cabbage / Photo: Pinterest

Pour into boxes layer of dry sand
about 20 cm, and then stick cabbage into it with the stalk down. Of the minuses of such storage – if the sand is poorly washed, it will come across in cooking.

• Life hack 5. Stacked

How to store cabbage / Photo: Pinterest

If there is a lot of cabbage, it is advisable to stack it. But it is important to ensure good ventilation, normal temperature and humidity. Heads of cabbage without stalks stacked in layers
so that in the lower layer between the heads there is a distance of about 10 cm. And the subsequent layers are laid out in the form of a pyramid.

• Life hack 6. On the shelves

How to store cabbage / Photo: Pinterest

Equipped in the basement wooden shelves
with a height to fit the heads of cabbage, and a slight slope towards the wall so that they do not roll. You can wrap cabbage with foil or paper.

• Life hack 7. In the trenches

A large crop is stored in trenches, but to them Difficulty in permanent access
. They dig holes up to 1.5 m deep, put a thick layer of straw on the bottom, and two layers of cabbage on top, shifting with straw. They cover the trench with a wooden shield and cover it with earth, with a layer of 10-20 cm. In case of frost, the storage from above can be insulated with straw or fallen leaves.

Watch the video recipe for covered cabbage

Earlier we talked about how to store dried mushrooms.