Under optimal conditions, red cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator for up to several weeks or even in the cellar for several months. Learn how to prepare your red cabbage for storage below.
Red cabbage lasts significantly less long when cut
Clean red cabbage
If your red cabbage comes fresh from the garden, it is probably a bit dirty. But even red coal from the supermarket can be dirty. The red cabbage must therefore be cleaned before storage:
- Rub off coarse dirt with your hand or a dry (!) cloth.
- Never use water, because wetness accelerates the spoilage process.
- Remove dirty or gnawed leaves.
- Remove rotten or damaged areas by removing the affected leaf. Do not just cut out the area, as this will damage other leaves.
- Check your red cabbage for pests and remove them.
Store red cabbage in the fridge
Red cabbage can be stored the longest if it is kept whole. After cleaning, place your red cabbage in the vegetable drawer. To protect it from moisture loss, you can wrap it in foil. Fresh red cabbage from the garden stays fresh for one to three weeks. With red cabbage from the supermarket, you don't know exactly how fresh it really is, so the maximum storage time here can be a little shorter.
Check your red cabbage regularly for rotten spots and remove them if necessary.
You can also store your red cabbage chopped and/or blanched in an airtight container in the fridge. Here, however, the maximum storage period is reduced to a few days.
Freeze red cabbage
If red cabbage is to be frozen, cut it into small strips and rinse thoroughly in cold water. To save space, blanch in hot water for a few minutes. Then rinse under cold water and let drain and cool. Then fill your red cabbage in freezer bags and into the freezer. The red cabbage can easily be stored here for six months or longer.
Hang red cabbage in the cellar
If you have enough space in your basement, you can also store the red cabbage there - preferably hanging. To do this, the red cabbage is dry cleaned as described above and then hung up on a thread. At temperatures around 2°C it can be stored for up to six months.
tips
Red cabbage stains heavily. Use kitchen gloves when cutting red cabbage.
The garden journal freshness ABC
How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?
The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:
- as a free PDF file to print out yourself