Storing cabbage

[Mo]

Three of my greyhound cabbage have hearted up nicely while we were on holiday, 4 more not far off, and the butterflies seem to have given up so there is more leaf then hole.

Trouble is, it's only OH who eats more than a spoonful of cabbage.
So one (or most of it) is now in the fridge.
What should I do with the other 2? If I leave them in the ground the slugs may take over from all the caterpillars I squashed. Should I cut them and put them in the fridge too? How long will they last?

[AnnaB]

Mo
It can be frozen if you want I'll tell you how.
Anna

[Mo]

Yes please

[AnnaB]

Shred or cut into pieces Blanch and cool for 1.5 to 2 mins.
Leaves can be stuffed, rolled up and baked in the oven with a tomato sauce before you put them in the freezer.
Also simmer with apple or onion then freeze.
Hope this helps.
Anna

[PK]

Once picked cabbage won't store for very long. An additional suggestion to Anna's is that you could make sauerkraut which will keep for several months according to a recipe I found which I intend to try out:-

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/cabbage1.html

scroll down to find the recipe.

[Mo]

Uggh. I don't like cabbage at the best of times, and the thought of saaerkraut doesn't improve things as then Jim wouldn't eat it either. My daughter came by yesterday and went away staggering under the weight of eggs, plums, greengages and a few cabbage leaves which we peeled off to avoid cuuting the cabbage in half.

The one I cut before going on holiday is now sprouting 3 little ones, so we'll have a succession.

[PK]

I really like cabbage - especially sweet and sour red cabbage.

I find after about a week in the fridge cabbage deteriorates and loses its crispness and then starts going off. Risk keeping it in the ground, preserve it or eat it.

[b_cos_1_can]

might seem like a dim question cos i havent grown any of my own veg yet....but can you not just stick it in the freezer as it is? (thats with all veges?)

[PK]

Hi Kat

No, not a dim question. Most vegetables will turn out mushy once you defrost them and alos lose a lot of flavour. As Anna suggests above, the answer is to blanch them and freeze as quckly as possible. Blanching destroys certain enzymes and bacteria whilst helping to preserve the colour, texture and flavour of the food. It also helps retain vitamin C.

[Mo]

However, you can put small fruit, e.g. raspberries in whole, if you freeze then on a tray so they don't stick together, then bag them.
Best to eat them as soon as they are nearly defrosted, or cook them. This avoids the mushiness problem. When pressed for time I've even put plums in whole, but then you can't cut them to get the stones out till defrosted, and they go brown while defrosting.