Where and how to store fresh cabbage at home in an apartment
Cabbage, second only to potatoes in popularity in Russia, is used in traditional cooking. Borscht and cabbage soup is cooked from it, pickle, ferment and eaten raw. Pies, fish and game are stuffed with cabbage; they make kulebyaka and cabbage rolls from it.
Gardeners grow cabbage in large volumes, and everyone needs to store it for a long time. In a private house where there is a cellar and the attic, this issue is not so acute. Residents of apartment buildings are faced with the problem of preserving vegetables due to the lack of large rooms with a constant low temperature.
Today we will tell you which cabbage is the best and what methods are used to preserve it in an apartment.
The content of the article
The best varieties for home storage
Consider TOP-15 of the best varieties and hybrids of cabbage, suitable for long-term storage in an apartment.
| Variety, hybrid | Characteristic | Weight plug |
| Aggressor F1 | A hybrid from the Netherlands, included in the State Register of the Russian Federation, is grown in the central regions of Russia, in the Urals and Siberia. | Up to 3 kg |
| Amager 611 | The hybrid was developed by Soviet breeders during the Second World War. It is grown throughout the territory of the Russian Federation. Good for salting, coarse sheets become softer and tastier during storage. | Up to 3.5 kg |
| Snow White | Late cabbage, which does not grow in acidified soil, is resistant to fusarium and mucous bacteriosis. The forks are round or flattened, do not crack. | 2.5 to 4 kg |
| Valentine F1 | A relatively new hybrid developed by Russian specialists. Stored for more than 7 months. | 3.3-3.7 kg |
| Wintering 1474 | The variety was bred for long-term storage and is able to lie until mid-January without losing its taste and appearance. | 2.2-3.5 kg |
| Gingerbread man | The forks are stored until the end of spring. The variety is not prone to rotting. The pulp has a bitter taste that softens during storage. | Up to 5 kg |
| Languadeaker | Refers to the old varieties bred by Dutch breeders. Disease resistant, palatability improves during storage. | 2-4 kg |
| Lennox F1 | Dutch hybrid with a high content of vitamin C. It tolerates dry summers, has a high yield, can be stored for up to 7-8 months. | 2.0-2.2 kg |
| Mom F1 | It is grown on the territory of the Volga region. Stored for 6 months. | 2.6KG |
| Mara | The Belarusian variety, stored for 5-6 months, is considered an ideal variety for winter sourdough. | Up to 4.5 kg |
| Megaton F1 | Dutch hybrid of emerald color. | 3.3-4.0 kg |
| Moscow late | Large variety of late cabbage. Can be stored until late June - early July. | Up to 5-6 kg |
| Orion F1 | Late hybrid cultivated in the North Caucasus. Stored for 7-8 months. | 2.2 kg |
| Sugar Loaf | Grown in the west of Siberia, stored for up to 8 months. | 2.3-2.7 kg |
| Kharkov winter | The variety was bred by Kharkov breeders. Heads of cabbage can lie up to 7-8 months. | 4 kg |
Selection and preparation of heads
When choosing heads of cabbage for long-term storage, including at room temperature, pay attention to their size... Forks of medium size and weight (about 2.5-3 kg) are best stored. It is better not to take too large or very small ones: large ones are prone to rapid withering (they press with their mass on the lower leaves, so they deteriorate), and small ones risk losing all the leaves or dry out over the winter.
Cabbage should be free from dark spots, insect marks, rot or mold... A small number of dried leaves is allowed, but no more than 2-3 outer leaves per forks. Cabbage should be firm, not lose shape when squeezed. It is recommended to examine the stalk: in a fresh vegetable, it has a light color without spots and rings, which indicate internal decay.
Before harvesting for storage, the heads of cabbage are prepared: all the darkened leaves are torn off from them, the damp forks are wiped with a soft cotton cloth. The stump is cut only if the forks will not be stored in a suspended state.
Optimal storage conditions
How to store cabbage at home in an apartment? Usually housewives choose a refrigerator... This is the best option for storing forks at home, where there is no cellar, cool attic or large freezer.
In the main compartment of the refrigerator, heads of cabbage will remain for 3 months. If you remove leaves that are starting to wilt, you can extend the shelf life of the vegetable to 4-5 months.
It is recommended to store the cabbage on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in a plastic bag... It is important that condensation does not collect in the bag - it creates favorable conditions for the growth of fungi.
How to properly store cabbage at home
There are many ways to preserve a vegetable in an apartment. Let's talk about a few of them.
In film
This method is suitable for those who have a storage room in their apartment.... It is desirable that it be located near the front door or have a common wall with an entrance. In such a storage room, a relatively low temperature is maintained - no higher than + 20 ° C.
To keep the heads of cabbage in such a room, they are tightly wrapped with cling film. Once every 10-14 days, the forks are examined, lethargic and darkening leaves are cut off. So vegetables can be stored for up to 5 months.
In paper
Cabbage wrapped in paper sheets is preserved from oxidation and drying... The paper removes excess water that can cause rotting. Thanks to the paper wrapper, the forks stay out of touch and last longer.
Such vegetables can be folded into a box or box and sent to the closet or to the balcony if it is glazed and the temperature is maintained there at least + 4 ... + 7 ° С. Forks stay fresh in paper for 5-6 months.
In clay
An unusual way to preserve the freshness of the heads of cabbage is to create a "clay coat"... Two parts of clay are mixed with one part of water, the resulting mixture is tightly coated with forks and sent to dry in the fresh air.
Dried cabbage is neatly placed in boxes and stored until spring in a cool place - on a glassed-in balcony or in a closet.
In limbo
Large glazed balconies allow you to hang the vegetable by the stump... To do this, a long wooden rail is attached to the wall under the ceiling. Nails are stuffed into it, strong bundles are tied to them, the free ends of which are tied around the stumps.
This method is the most gentle: vegetables do not come into contact with each other, do not put pressure on themselves with their own mass and are constantly ventilated.
In the grid
The nets are suitable for short storage - 2-3 months... Forks in nets are most often kept during transport. At home, these bags take up a lot of space and are rarely used. In addition, the heads of cabbage in them lie too tightly, the outer sheets are injured.
In sand
For owners of spacious glazed loggias, the method of storing cabbage in the sand is suitable... To preserve the vegetables, a small layer of sand is poured into the bottom of the box, on which the first row of cabbage is placed. Then sprinkle with sand so that the next row does not come into contact with the lower one.
The top layer of sand should completely cover the vegetables. In such a box, protected from moisture, oxygen and the sun, cabbage will lie until spring.
Features of storing different types of cabbage
If you plan to store other types of cabbage for a long time, it is important to adhere to simple rules.
Kohlrabi
Stem fruits are pulled out of the ground along with the root.The root is cut off. Kohlrabi hung on a loggia or in a refrigerator, wrapped in paper... So the vegetable will last up to 5 months. Kohlrabi will lie in the freezer for up to a year.
Colored
This vegetable is often pickle or salt. When you need to keep it fresh for 4-5 months, freeze, separating the inflorescences from the stump, or store in the refrigerator in paper or on the balcony in a box covered with paper, if the temperature there does not drop below 0 ° C.
Broccoli
Vegetables cannot be stored for long without freezing. You can save broccoli inflorescences for 5-6 days in a glass of water in the refrigerator or in a cold place, wrapped in a damp towel. So the inflorescences do not lose moisture and remain crispy.
Freezer keeps broccoli taste and properties up to a year.
Shelf life
Some varieties of white cabbage, for example, Moskovskaya late, are stored until summer... But more often the cabbage is 6-8 months old. The cabbage of specially bred late varieties with a high degree of keeping quality is stored for the longest.
The storage time depends on the preparation of the vegetables. (wet or rotten leaves can ruin the entire crop) and compliance. So that the cabbage does not deteriorate after 2-3 months of storage, the forks are periodically inspected for rot and darkening. Bad leaves are cut off, and cabbage, which has become soft, is thrown away.
Conclusion
Late varieties of cabbage are stored for a long time, some varieties are able to last until summer, others are edible until the end of winter - early spring. When choosing vegetables for long-term storage, they prefer late varieties. They not only tolerate long-term storage well, but also improve taste over time.
You can store cabbage in different ways, including hanging it, burying it in the sand, smearing it with clay or wrapping it in film. The apartment has an ideal place for storing heads of cabbage - a cool closet or a glassed-in loggia. Other types of cabbage - kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower - are frozen by the hostesses. In this form, they retain their properties for up to 12 months.