How to Store Cabbage

1. Don't wash the cabbage or remove the outer leaves before storing. The outer leaves protect the inner leaves from drying out, but excess water from washing can lead to rot or mold.
2. Store whole cabbage in the refrigerator in a crisper drawer with a high humidity setting, if you have one. You can put it in a plastic bag if you want, or you can just put it in the drawer.

Lots of people wonder, "Does cabbage need to be refrigerated?" And yes, you should generally refrigerate your cabbage to keep it fresh. However, if you have a root cellar, then this is an even better place for cabbage than the refrigerator. It can last for much longer! Root cellars are an ideal storage space because they have a cool temperature and a high humidity.

1. Don't wash the cabbage or remove the outer leaves (leave the roots on if you can).
2. Store it stem-side up on a shelf in your root cellar. Leave ample space between each head and any other vegetables.
3. You can also hang the cabbage upside down in the root cellar or wrap in newspaper and store on the floor.

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Once you cut your cabbage, its shelf life is shortened considerably. But don't worry! It can still stay fresh for a few days.

1. If you have a half or quarter of a cabbage left over, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You can also store it in a plastic bag, making sure to push all the air out.
2. Store it in the refrigerator, in a crisper drawer if you have one.

Freezing cabbage is an easy way to have cabbage on hand whenever you need it!

1. Start by washing your cabbage and trimming off the extra leaves. If your cabbage comes directly from the farmstand or your garden, you'll want to do an extra step to make sure that there aren't any insects hiding out in the cabbage leaves. Simply soak the whole cabbage heads in a salt water solution (1-3 Tbsp of salt per gallon of water) for half an hour. You can also let the cabbage soak in unsalted water for a few hours.
2. Once your cabbage is thoroughly washed, cut it into quarters. Be sure to leave the stem at the bottom of each quarter in order to help it hold together.
3. Meanwhile, heat a big pot of water until it's boiling. Also prepare a large bowl of ice water.
4. Blanch the cabbage quarters by placing them in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Then transfer them to the ice water to cool rapidly.
5. Once the cabbage is cool, pat the quarters dry.
6. Place the cabbage on a cookie sheet with some space between each quarter. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and flash freeze for 12 hours or so.
7. Once the wedges are frozen, you can put them in large freezer bags and put in the freezer for longer storage. Flash freezing keeps the cabbage wedges from sticking together, so you can put a few in each bag.

Now that you know all about how to preserve cabbage, let's talk about what to actually do with it when you're ready to eat it! There are so many delicious cabbage recipes out there, and we have a few of our favorite ideas here just for you.

Southern Fried Bacon and Cabbage
Stove Top Cabbage Bake (Watch the video!)
Spicy Smothered Bacon Cabbage
Braised Cabbage with Pears

You can easily use fresh cabbage that you've stored in your refrigerator or root cellar for these recipes. However, you can also use cabbage that you've stored in the freezer for these dishes. Some of the recipes, like the cabbage rolls, are especially good when you use the frozen vegetables.

Did you know that instead of blanching cabbage leaves to use in cabbage rolls, you can freeze them instead? As they wilt in the freezer, they'll become soft, pliable, and perfect for making cabbage rolls! Try one of our all-time favorite recipes for cabbage rolls here.