How To Store Cabbage (Whole, Cut, or Shredded) (2024)

FAQs

How To Store Cabbage (Whole, Cut, or Shredded)? ›

Place your cabbage in the crisper drawer and/or in a large plastic storage bag to hold in its natural moisture. Don't cut it, ideally. When you cut a cabbage, it can start to brown and lose moisture much faster than a whole head.

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.

Whether it's red or green, Savoy or napa, fresh cabbage should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. For red, green and Savoy cabbage heads, this storage method will keep the cabbage fresh for up to 10 days.

Tips for storing cabbage

Wrapped tightly in plastic, a head of cabbage will keep for about two weeks in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Once cut, use cabbage within 2-3 days. Cover and refrigerate cooked cabbage within two hours of cooking and use within 3-5 days.

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.

“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.

Cooked cabbage (all types): Store cooked cabbage in the fridge in an airtight container and use it within three to five days. You can also freeze cooked cabbage in an airtight container for up to 10 months. TIP: Once thawed, cooked cabbage will keep in the fridge for three to four days. It's best used in cooked dishes.

It's Packed With Nutrients

Half a cup of cooked cabbage has about a third the vitamin C you need for the day. It also gives you doses of fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and K, and more.

Why do you soak cabbage in water? ›

We wanted to find a method that would keep the cabbage from watering down the dressing and also a way to make the salad piquant without tasting too sharp. The solution: Some recipes call for soaking cabbage in ice water to make it crisp and plump.

The outer leaves of the cabbage head work to protect the inner and more tender leaves, especially helping with moisture retention. Do not wash cabbage until you are ready to use it. Refrain from washing before storing. Cabbage can store well in a hydrator drawer.

With the shredded cabbage in a colander, mix in a tablespoon of salt per head of cabbage till it's evenly distributed. The salt will draw out excess water from cabbage while helping preserve the crispiness. After letting it sit for an hour or two, rinse it with water to remove the salt.

If there are just a few worms, hand-picking can take care of them. Collect them in a pail of soapy water to kill them. Another treatment for a minor population of cabbage worms is neem oil. While you won't kill the insects directly, it prevents them from feeding on your plants.

Signs that your cabbage has gone bad include: — Discoloration: Any black, brown, or yellow spots may indicate spoilage. — Bad smell: Spoiled cabbage often smells foul or sour.