How to store cabbage at home in winter: the best ways

It is not so easy to grow a decent harvest of cabbage, and since you did it so well that it even became necessary to preserve it, then this must be done.

Next, you will learn all the secrets of proper storage of cabbage, thanks to which your heads can lie at least until spring, of course, if you can create the proper storage conditions.

When and how to harvest cabbage for storage

Preparation of cabbage for storage begins, of course, with harvesting and sorting the crop.

As you know, white cabbage is the most frost-resistant vegetable crop. Therefore, it is certainly not necessary to rush, but it is also impossible to postpone for later, because frozen heads of cabbage will not be stored at all.

The first night frosts for cabbage will not care, but daytime ...

The cleaning itself is recommended in dry weather, because the cabbage for storage must be dry.

For long-term storage, only suitable strong, dense and healthy heads of cabbage.

Set aside all vegetables with damage, cracks, signs of disease and pests, as well as underdeveloped and unripe cabbages. They must be eaten first or recycled.

• If you wrap in film, then first you just need to put the forks in the storage, and when the temperature drops to at least +3, then wrap it. During this time, the internal temperature of the heads of cabbage will equal the temperature in the basement (cellar).

If the cabbage is wrapped with foil immediately after harvesting and placed in storage, then a lot of condensation will appear under the foil and all the cabbage will rot.

• If without filmthen the upper leaves do not need to be peeled. If in filmthen delete everything to white sheet.
• Going to suspend (store suspended) — stump must be long (8-10 cm)... If in a film, then it is better to completely remove it completely ("flush").

Which varieties of cabbage are best stored

Everything here is simple, standard (applicable to all vegetables suitable for storage) and it is obvious:

• early maturing varieties are, in principle, not suitable for storage;
• mid-season cabbage can still be stored for 2 or 3 months (until the New Year);
• mid-late or late-ripening varieties are the most mature, they can be stored for up to 6-9 months (at least until spring, or even until summer).

Optimalnew conditions for long-term storage of cabbage

• Temperature regime - 0 .. + 3 degrees (ideally - 0 .. + 1, because already at +2 .. + 3 decay processes begin).
• Humidity - no more than 90%.

Drops of condensation on the forks are a clear sign of excessive humidity.

Where to store cabbage

Of course, the most suitable storage space is cellar or basement... But if you live in an apartment, then you have no choice but to put the heads of cabbage to the balcony (which must be necessarily insulated) in a special box (insulated with foam) or under the window — in the winter refrigerator.

Video: storing cabbage on a loggia

How and what to store cabbage: the best ways

As a rule, many do not bother at all and just lay out the cabbage forks by racks or by drawers (wooden, plastic, cardboard, only necessarily with holes) in one layer, while the heads of cabbage should not touch.

Opinion: “Cabbage is stored in the cellar without any film. I don't bother with this. If we have cabbage, say, a whole cart, you won't buy films. It is always stored until spring and even until summer, if it remains. "

However, there are more original and effective (subject to certain conditions) ways of storing cabbage.

Hanging (hanging by a stump)

Hanging storage is great for when you want to save space in your cellar or basement for something else. So, you need to tie the stumps of forks with a strong rope and hang them from the ceiling in the storage, placing them at some distance from each other so that the heads of cabbage do not touch.

By the way! In addition to saving space, this method is also good in that the forks are perfectly ventilated in this position, which means that the risk of disease or rotting is reduced.

Opinion: “I kept the cabbage like this - I hung a healthy head of cabbage by a stump on a string on a nail, did not wrap it with anything. The top leaves were drying up, but that's all, until spring, as if the cabbage was well kept. "

In film

Most gardeners prefer to store cabbage wrapped in plastic wrap.

Buy cling film and wrap the forks as tightly as possible in 2-3 layers.

In this case, it is better to cut the stump, so to speak, "flush" so that there are no cavities for air.

Moreover, it is necessary to wrap the cabbage with foil directly in the cellar, when the temperature inside is optimal for storage (+1 .. + 3 degrees), then there will be guaranteed no condensation between the foil and the cabbage.

Note! In the storage process, a few leaves will definitely rot anyway. In this case, you need to open the heads of cabbage, remove the rotten leaves and wrap with foil again.

Important! If you have a wet basement (drops on vegetables), then this storage method will definitely not work for you. So the heads of cabbage in the film will rot only faster !!!

Opinion: “Last year, the cabbage was stored until May. She peeled the cabbage to a white leaf, wrapped the forks with foil in several layers, and stored them at temperatures up to + 2- + 3 in the closet. "

Video: the best way to store cabbage is in film

In the newspaper (paper)

And for those who do not like cling film, the old fashioned way, they wrap their heads of cabbage in a newspaper.

Advice! The newspaper gets wet from the evaporation of moisture from the cabbage, and it rots. Therefore, it is imperative to follow and change the newspaper as needed.

In wax

A way for particularly intricate housewives who, as they say, are not lazy.

Dip the heads of cabbage into a container with melted wax, let them drain, and then store them in the basement or hang them by a long stump.

In clay

Remember how you dipped the roots of a seedling in a clay mash before planting?

The principle is the same: prepare the clay in consistency, reminiscent of sour cream, and dip the heads of cabbage in it, let the clay dry and store it in the basement or cellar.

How do you keep heads of cabbage fresh until spring?