White cabbage is a vegetable rich in nutrients that the body needs during the cold season. With the help of cabbage, you can diversify the diet, and for this they marinate, pickle, and freshly store for storage in sufficient quantities. But for good preservation, it is necessary to know the varieties, methods and conditions that we will discuss in the article.
The best varieties for long-term storage
Well justified in winter storage mid-season varieties:
- "Blizzard" - up to 8 months;
- "Gift" - 7 months;
- "Dombrovskaya" - six months;
- "Kharkov Winter" - up to 7 months;
- "Kolobok F1" - 6 months;
- "Belarusian 455" - 7.5 months.
Among late varieties show themselves well:
- "Stone head" - for the year it only gets tastier;
- "Amager" - up to 9 months;
- "Snow White" - 6 months;
- "Liguredeiker" - 8 months;
- "Aros", "Atria" - up to 10 months.
Important! For good preservation of the vegetable in winter, when growing, it is necessary to add phosphorus-potassium additives to the soil in time, while an excess of nitrogenous additives makes the cabbages friable and unsuitable for storage.
How to pre prepare cabbage
It is very important to know when to start harvesting so that it is of high quality and without loss. It is necessary to start harvesting cabbage, which needs to be kept fresh, when the daytime temperature is from +3 to + 8 ° С and the night temperature does not fall below -3 ° С. The weather must be dry.
We advise you to read about the types of cabbage and their beneficial properties: red, cauliflower, Savoy, Peking, broccoli, kohlrabi, romanesco, pak choi, kale, as well as the benefits of sauerkraut.
The preparation process consists of the following features:
- loose, immature, cracked and frozen vegetables are not suitable for storage. The plugs must be elastic, without damage;
- cut cabbages need a sharp knife, leaving the leg and two covering leaf. To make cuts neatly, without deep serifs;
- for 24 hours, cabbage must be dried indoors or under a canopy;
- Before lowering to the cellar or basement, cabbage should be sprinkled with chalk or lime from the fungus.
Where to store
Cabbage harvested for winter consumption can be saved:
- in the basement and cellar, placing vegetables on the shelves, hanging from the ceiling. With a rich harvest of cabbage can be folded in a pile in the shape of a pyramid, stalks up. These rooms must first be prepared for laying vegetables - dry, expel rodents, disinfect using whitewash, you can fumigate with sulfur. In a good underground room with a cold snap, the necessary temperature and humidity are set, which allow you to avoid yield losses. In the prepared basement or cellar the cabbage lasts about 8 months;
Did you know? When stacked in a stack on an area of 1 sq. M. You can place up to 200 kg of cabbage.
- In the pantry, it is also possible for some time to store the cabbage. This method is suitable for apartments. In a relatively cool and dry room, the vegetable is best preserved, carefully wrapping it in cling film or parchment. Forks must not be expanded very tightly to allow air to circulate. In such conditions, vegetables can last six months;
- in the refrigerator, this vegetable should be placed in the freshness zone (available in all modern models), where you can create the desired temperature to preserve it. If there is no such place, put the forks in the refrigerator section with a minimum temperature. Each head must be packed in parchment or cling film. So the vegetable is stored no more than 30 days;
- on the balcony, if it is insulated, you can maintain a constant temperature and store the forks, also wrapping them with paper or film. During a cold snap, cabbage must be unfolded in a closet or covered with fabric insulation. The average shelf life is 5 months;
- in the earthen trench - such storage of cabbage is suitable for large heads: they do not occupy space in the room. But in the ground, the heads of cabbage are dampened, rotted, and with very severe frosts they freeze slightly, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to quickly get the needy heads of cabbages from bad weather out of such shelter. With this method it is necessary to dig a trench at a height of 0.5 m and a width of 0.6 m at a height, lay a layer of straw on the bottom and on top of two rows of cabbage forks. Top with straw and put a wooden shield. On it, cover up the soil with a thickness of at least 0.2 m.
Optimal conditions
The quality of vegetable storage at home depends on the microclimate in the room. It is necessary to maintain a stable temperature not higher than + 2 ° C and an average humidity of 95%. The storage must have permanent ventilation. If you maintain these parameters at the required level, it is possible to keep the cabbage qualitatively for 8 months.
Read also about the construction of the cellar in the country to store the harvest.
Storage methods
There are many ways to help preserve cabbage to the new crop - from them you can choose any one that is most appropriate.
In a box or box
The simplest way, suitable for the cellar and basement:
- the forks are completely removed from the forks, spoiled leaves;
- wooden trellised or cardboard containers with holes are taken;
- vegetables are neatly stacked in one layer, not in contact with each other;
- the container is installed on a low pallet.
Find out how to make cabbage: white, red, color, broccoli.
On shelves
Near the wall are arranged shelves with removable shelves. They are laid out on the cabbages, pre-dried, peeled, with a leg no more than 3 cm and covered leaves. Lay out so that between the forks left a couple of centimeters for ventilation.
Important! The distance between the shelves should be such that over the heads of cabbages remain about 0.1 m for good air circulation.
In paper
Dried vegetables are taken for storage. The forks are wrapped in several layers of paper. It is allowed to use newspapers, only for the first layer there should be white clean paper. The paper layer does not allow the heads to come in contact, it will serve as additional insulation from strong cold, light and moisture. Wrapped so forks laid out in boxes or bags.
In food film
This method is the most effective. The sequence of its implementation:
- take elastic plugs;
- cut the leg to the base and left covering the leaves;
- heads of cabbages are carefully wrapped with several layers of film, without folds, where air can remain;
- prepared cabbage forks are stacked on shelves or in prepared containers;
- From time to time you should look at vegetables for the possibility of spoilage
Video: storing cabbage in film
In clay
A solution is prepared from two parts of clay and one part of water (thick sour cream consistency). Forks are coated with clay, allowed to dry, and the vegetables are laid out in the basement on the shelf shelves.
Did you know? In 2012, the largest cabbage in the world was grown in America. Her weight was 62.71 kg, which is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
In the sand or on the "pillow" of it
The sequence of operations:
- the stalks are cut under the leaves;
- they put the cabbages into wood containers so that they do not touch each other;
- the first layer is covered with dry sand;
- lay out the next row of vegetables and pour sand;
- fill the box under the top.
Dry sand makes it possible to minimize yield losses. You can also save this vegetable on a “pillow” from it: at the forks, 8 cm long legs are left, dry sand is poured into small containers with a layer of 20 cm, and prepared cabbage is inserted into it.
Familiarize yourself with the recipes for harvesting cabbage for the winter: Georgian-style, salted, sauerkraut.
Aweigh
Cabbage cleaned with roots, shake off the soil. The roots are tightly tied with twine, and the ventilated forks are suspended from the ceiling of the cellar. The main thing - the forks do not touch each other. This method saves territory with a large crop of vegetables and a limited storage area.
Cabbage storage: reviews
Knowing what kind of cabbage is suitable for keeping fresh, you can choose the most appropriate way to store this vegetable. This will allow all winter and spring to use in their diet a fresh product, retained in its composition of vitamins and trace elements.