Can You Freeze Cabbage? Yes, and Here’s How.

By storing cabbage in the freezer, you may purchase it and keep it fresher for longer. Since the cabbages available in supermarkets in late spring were generally gathered the previous autumn, it is much simpler to purchase cabbage while it is fresh and freeze it to keep it fresh rather than purchasing older cabbages. You may also simply freeze leftover cooked cabbage without affecting its texture.

Cabbage is a healthy and cost-effective meal that adds texture and flavor to stews, soups, stir fries, slaws, salads, and other dishes. Sautéing cabbage instead of boiling it is a terrific way to allow its flavors show through. Just add the cabbage and spices to a fry pan with olive oil and gently sauté for around 10 minutes. If you add a little stock, finely chopped onion, and bacon to the cabbage, you’ll have a rich side dish that will compliment a variety of cuisines.

How to Store Fresh Cabbage

Depending on the variety of cabbage, it may be preserved in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to four weeks, but it is normally at its best in the first week or two. Even if you want to freeze your cabbage, keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Cabbage that has previously been cooked can keep in the refrigerator for about three days if placed in an airtight container. It may also be frozen ready to cook, however part of the texture and taste will be lost.

What Do You Need to Know Before Freezing Raw or Blanched Cabbage?

Blanched or partially cooked cabbage can preserve its quality in the freezer for up to nine months. If you’re fortunate enough to have a vacuum sealer, it may last for far over a year. Its texture may be somewhat changed, like with other frozen vegetables.

Cabbage freezes better when blanched rather than raw, and I’ll go into more detail about why in a bit. If you wish to freeze raw cabbage, bear in mind that it will only keep for a couple of months at its best in the freezer. You may also remove additional texture.

Cabbage, like other vegetables and fruits, contains enzymes, bacteria, and other microbes that begin to break down the cabbage over time, changing its taste, color, and texture.

Blanching (also known as scalding) cabbage, whether by water, steam, or microwaving, blocks the activity of enzymes and kills bacteria. Blanching also removes any leftover dirt and, since it wilts the cabbage, makes it simpler to pack for freezing.

Blanched cabbage freezes and keeps better in the freezer than raw cabbage. Personally, I never freeze raw veggies; instead, I blanch them since freezing them fresh changes the texture and taste too much.

If you wish to freeze cabbage raw, conduct a test run first; compare a batch that has been frozen raw to some that has been blanched. Raw cabbage freezing may be fine depending on how it will be used.

Shredded frozen cabbage, like fresh cabbage, is convenient for placing right into the pan; it may also be thawed and used in salads and slaws.

When purchasing a cabbage to freeze, aim for one that does not have any damage or mold growing on it, and freeze it as soon as possible after purchase.

How Do You Prepare A Fresh Cabbage for Freezing?

Every sort of cabbage, whether green, red, Napa, savoy, or one of the many other types available, is good for freezing.

If you are cooking a homegrown cabbage, remove the tough outer leaves and soak it in a basin of cold water for at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours if particularly unclean. You may also add a little salt to the water to assist kill any bugs that may be lurking in the leaves. After thoroughly soaking, give it a brief rinse under the faucet, shake, wipe dry with paper towels, and place it on the cutting board.

If you purchased your cabbage at the shop, a simple rinse and pat dry after removing the outer leaves should suffice since it has already been cleaned after harvesting.

When it comes to freezing cabbage, you have the option of freezing it as wedges, leaves, or shreds. If you don’t sure how you want to use your cabbage yet, or if you want to use it in many dishes, I suggest freezing it in wedges so you can slice or shred it when you’re ready to use it. You may also store entire cabbages, but they take up more freezer space and must be used after defrosting.

After the cabbage is on the cutting board, shred, slice, or cut it into wedges. If you’re creating wedges, leave any core parts in to help keep the leaves together.

To avoid cooked cabbage from becoming soggy, thaw it in the refrigerator before warming; alternatively, depending on how you froze the cooked cabbage, it may be gently warmed directly from frozen and served.

If you properly clean the Ziplock bag inside and out and allow it to dry, you may use it to store a fresh batch of frozen cabbage or other veggies such as carrots or broccoli.

Summary

To summarize, yes, you can freeze cabbage, and it is simple to do so. But, freezing cabbage is best done after it has been blanched, as this helps prevent it from deteriorating as much in the freezer. Once thawed, frozen cabbage may be used to make coleslaws and cabbage rolls, or it can be used directly to a stew, soup, or stir fry.

You may also freeze leftover cooked cabbage, although it will lose texture and last less time in the freezer than blanched cabbage.