How to Store Cabbage (2024)

FAQs

How to Store Cabbage? ›

If you're not quite ready to use your head of cabbage, don't rinse it, put it in a plastic bag, and store it in the crisper drawer of the fridge. You will be shocked at how long it will remain vibrant and crisp.

Cabbage is best stored whole and unrinsed until you're ready to use it. Cutting into it will cause it to lose vitamin C, which will lead to faster spoilage. To store a head of cabbage, place it in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. A head of cabbage will last up two months when stored this way.

Try to minimize any bruising of your cabbages. Any kind of cell damage makes the cabbage go by more quickly and degrades the vitamin C content. If cabbage is properly stored, it can last from 3 weeks to up to 2 months in your refrigerator. In optimum root cellar conditions, it can even last longer.

I always just leave a head in the garage unless the garage is below freezing temperatures. In the winter, I leave it in the pantry in a basket with carrots and other veggies like beets. It keeps for a month or two in my house. If the outside leaves look wilted, just peel them off until you get to the nice ones inside.

Cabbage should be stored at 32 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 90–95 percent. Since cabbage is susceptible to rapid wilting and/or deterioration, heads should be refrigerated constantly and not brought out to room temperature until just before preparing.

Be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, a large plastic bag, or in an air-tight food storage container. The key is to lock in moisture to avoid oxidation, so your cabbage can stay fresh over the next few days.

“Freezing it raw will preserve the texture slightly better than freezing it blanched, but it will still suffer from some breakdown of the cell structure, resulting in softness when thawed; you will never achieve the crispness of raw cabbage once it's frozen,” says Chen McCarthy.

Cabbage can be cooked in countless ways: sliced and sautéed or stir-fried; cut into wedges and roasted, braised, blanched and used as a wrap for ground meats and rice; or wrapped around fish before steaming.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours. If the temperature outside (or inside your house) is 90°F or above, you should cut that time in half.

Store cabbage at 32 to 33°F (0 to 0.6°C) but not over 35°F (2.2°C). During transit and storage, infected produce may leak, but have no disagreeable odor. In moist air, the lesions may be water soaked or have a pinkish border and yellow to light brown center.

How to store cabbage without a root cellar? ›

Root clamps are an old way of storing vegetables underground without an actual root cellar. They're simple holes in the ground to store cabbages, potatoes, and other root vegetables. The vegetables can be layered with straw or hay, keeping a thick layer between them and the dirt to keep out any frost.

After cutting your cabbage, put it in a bowl of water, then store the bowl in your fridge and let the cabbage soak until you're ready to use it. Drain and dry the soaked cabbage very well to avoid making your dishes watery or soggy, then enjoy your super fresh-tasting cabbage, whether you keep it raw or cook with it.

Cabbage should always be stored dry as moisture can speed up spoilage, encourage mold growth, and reduce the crunchy texture. What is this? Pat your whole cabbage dry before storing it in the refrigerator. Use a perforated bag or container that allows air circulation to prevent condensation while stored in the fridge.