Can white cabbage be frozen?

Of course it is possible. But you need to take into account the fact that when frozen, white cabbage will lose its crispy properties. Frozen cabbage is suitable for borscht, cabbage rolls and just stewing.

To freeze, the cabbage must first be washed and allowed to dry a little from water. Then chop, put in plastic bags and in the freezer. For stuffed cabbage, you need to freeze whole leaves.

It is possible to freeze white cabbage, but after defrosting it will no longer have crispy properties. Cabbage softens and then it will go only for stewing in the manufacture of filling for pies and for making stuffed cabbage. You can't make a salad from frozen cabbage.

If you plan to use cabbage as a filling, then it is simply chopped and frozen in separate bags.

And for stuffed cabbage, at first, the forks are completely boiled in sunflower water for several minutes, then they are disassembled into leaves and frozen in plastic bags in portions.

You can freeze cauliflower.

White cabbage tolerates freezing well. If there is space in the refrigerator, or you are afraid that the cabbage will go bad, then it is quite possible to freeze it.

It is best to freeze shredded cabbage. To do this, you must first wash, let the water drain. Then chop, put in bags and put in the freezer.

This cabbage can be further used in the preparation of first and second courses, as well as filling dough products.

White cabbage can be frozen.

Chop the cabbage and put it in bags, then simply tie these bags tightly and send them to the freezer.

The principle of freezing cabbage is the same as that of other vegetables and fruits, the only difference is that when using such cabbage, it loses its properties and such cabbage will no longer work for the preparation of delicious borscht, it will probably fit only for pies with cabbage.

Of course, you can freeze cabbage.

If there is a freezer, then frozen cabbage can be stored there.

I usually use chopped cabbage for borscht.

I put them in bags, tie them in the freezer.

When you need to cook something from it, you need to pull the cabbage out of the freezer and, without defrosting, start preparing the dish.

There is one drawback, such cabbage is suitable only for pies, pies, cabbage cutlets with meat.

The taste changes after freezing.

My mother-in-law freezes every year, but not with heads of cabbage, but chopped. Shreds, packs in bags and in the freezer. In winter, it takes out and adds to the soup or stews. I am not a fan of frozen vegetables, so I prefer sauerkraut.

Before, I didn’t freeze cabbage, not onions, not beets, not even carrots. For some reason it seemed to me that after freezing they change their taste. But now I always freeze the listed foods in shredded form in plastic bags. This storage method is especially convenient when preparing borscht, soups, and side dishes (stewed cabbage, for example). It is very fast and convenient and saves your free time. Therefore, I can say with confidence that white cabbage can be frozen, unless you plan to make a salad from it in the future (it is soft and tasteless when thawed).

Dense vegetables, such as cabbage, burst with ice when frozen. When defrosting, the cabbage turns into rags, sluggish and watery, as if it had been previously doused with boiling water or cooked. But if boiled or stewed, then it may well be suitable for these purposes, but you do not need to soar for a long time, it is already almost ready.

You can freeze white cabbage, but when thawed, it becomes soft, tasteless and loses some of its useful qualities.

Traditionally in Russia it was customary to pickle cabbage in stainless steel containers, in barrels or pickle.

It is definitely possible to freeze white cabbage for the winter.

You need to rinse it thoroughly, then chop it, cut it, as it is convenient for you. Now all that remains is to put it in cellophane bags and in the freezer. Frozen cabbage is ideal later for soup and pie fillings.

In general, all vegetables are stored in the same way and prepared for the winter to be frozen in freezers.

You can freeze such cabbage, but it will be too soft.

Cabbage leaves become watery and too soft, so they become not very good for cabbage soup and borscht.

Fresh cabbage is sold in stores all year round, so you can also keep it fresh until spring in a cool place or buy it in the store in winter.

We tried to freeze it, cut it and put it in bags. In winter, they immediately threw out of the bag into boiling water, but, to be honest, the taste was not at all the same - we threw out almost everything.

Do not take up space in the freezer in vain, freeze berries and mushrooms better.

You can freeze asparagus beans, chopped bell peppers - they are more useful and the taste is almost not lost.

Freezing white cabbage has both pros and cons.
Pros of freezing:
- ready-made semi-finished product, which is always at hand;
- cabbage does not lose its beneficial properties;
- defrosts quickly;
- has a long shelf life.
- You can freeze a mixture of cabbage, carrots and bell peppers and use it to prepare many dishes.

Cons of freezing:
- frozen cabbage is not suitable for making salads;
- does not crunch after defrosting;
- takes up space in the freezer (in case of freezing whole cabbage forks).

In order for the product to look attractive after defrosting and retain its properties as much as possible, you need to adhere to the basic rules for freezing vegetables.

First you need to inspect the cabbage well, remove all sluggish and spoiled leaves, and cut off suspicious spots. Wash the cabbage thoroughly.

Chop cabbage in any way convenient for you. This can be done on a grater, like in my photo, cut the cabbage with a knife or chop it in a food processor using a special attachment.

By the way, the form of slicing can be different: large straws for cooking borscht or stewed cabbage with vegetables and finely chopped cabbage for cooking cabbage.

It is advisable to blanch vegetables before freezing. After all, short-term heat treatment contributes to the destruction of enzymes that can spoil the vegetable during storage.

Place the shredded cabbage in a saucepan and boil the water in parallel.

Pour boiling water over the cabbage straws and soak them in hot water for 1-2 minutes.

Drain gently and fill the pot with cold water. It will be good if you throw a few ice cubes into the water to stop the thermal effect even faster.

When blanching and draining the liquid, you can use a colander instead of a saucepan. It is much more convenient and faster for small batches of cabbage. After blanching, shredded cabbage will no longer be so elastic and crumbly, its volume will become noticeably smaller.

Drain the cabbage completely.

Spread out a damp-absorbent tea towel, such as waffle, and spread the cabbage evenly over it. Wait for the cabbage straws to dry well. You can flip it over from time to time, change the towel, and even create a draft in the room or turn on the fan. Well-dried cabbage during freezing will not stick together, and after thawing it will not turn into a sticky and homogeneous mass.

Arrange the cabbage in sturdy plastic bags. I use with a Zip lock or a “Slider” lock. Control the amount of cabbage packed in packages yourself, based on the portions of your family. For example, I pack 200-300 g.

Be sure to sign the package with the blank (write on the package itself or stick a label). Indicate the product itself, the cut shape, the amount of cabbage and the date of freezing.

Deflate the bag as much as possible and close it tightly. The quickest and most convenient way to release the air is by pulling it out through the beverage duct. How to do it? Insert the straw into the bag, close it up to the tube, pull the air out of the bag with your mouth, quickly remove the straw and finally close the bag. All! The bag is compressed as much as possible and the amount of air in it is minimized, and the less air, the better the product is stored at low temperatures.

Place the shredded cabbage in the freezer for storage. The food will freeze better and faster if it is laid out on the bottom of the drawer (closer to the radiator or the bottom of the freezer). Set the temperature to no higher than - 18 degrees. Store up to 10 months.

How to defrost frozen chopped cabbage?

If you are going to cook borscht, cabbage or stew cabbage with vegetables, then you do not need to defrost it. Simply add it to your dish at a specific stage in the cooking process by transferring it to a saucepan, skillet, or slow cooker. Keep in mind that this cabbage will take a little less time to cook than if you were using fresh cabbage. It's just that after defrosting, the cabbage will no longer be so elastic and if you do not shorten the cooking time, then the vegetable can be easily digested.

If you still need to defrost cabbage for a dish, then transfer the package from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight, in the morning the cabbage will completely thaw and be ready for use. Thawed cabbage straws will be soft, lethargic, but this will not affect the taste in any way.

Cabbage can also be frozen whole or in the form of semi-finished products, for example, leaves for making stuffed cabbage.

As for freezing a whole fork of cabbage, you need to take into account that you need a lot of space in the freezer.

In cabbage, you need to cut out the leg and part of the stump. Place in microwave for 1-3 minutes at full power (time depends on cabbage size). This heat treatment is needed to destroy those enzymes that lead to blackening of vegetables during freezing.

But I propose a more convenient option - immediately disassemble the cabbage into leaves and freeze them.

Since we have already removed the stem and part of the cabbage stump, the leaves will be well removed from the head.

It is quite possible to freeze different varieties of cabbage for the winter, since the structure of this product is quite dense and is not damaged during processing and long-term storage.

During the harvesting season, many housewives are looking for interesting recipes to make as much stock as possible.

That is why the question arises, how to properly freeze cabbage and which varieties are best used for processing and long-term storage?

This process is quite simple, it does not take very long, however, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation of this product.

What kind of cabbage can I freeze?

Freezing is one of the best ways to extend the shelf life of food while preserving almost all of its beneficial properties.

Cabbage is no exception.

Almost all types of it can be frozen:

• white cabbage,
• colored,
• kohlrabi,
• broccoli

However, in order for frozen cabbage to retain all the required vitamins and other nutrients, you need to know how to properly prepare the product and which varieties are best to take.

The most important selection criteria are such as:

• the vegetable must be ripe, but not overripe;
• there should be no dark areas and mold on the surface of the head;
• it is best to take young vegetables;
• be sure to examine the leaves and inflorescences.

Thus, you can save a vegetable only if it is fresh and picked no more than two days ago. Almost all of its varieties are suitable for this, the most important thing is to properly process and prepare.

How to freeze cabbage for the winter - features of the technological process

You can freeze cabbage at home quite easily and quickly, the most important thing is to follow the technology.

• Ideal for freezing broccoli.

It belongs to the cabbage vegetable family and is made up of several individual stems.

A fully ripe, good and dense head of cabbage must be thoroughly rinsed and divided into individual inflorescences.

Then blanch the inflorescences a little in boiling water or over steam, put them in cardboard boxes or special sealed bags and put in the freezer.

• Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprout is a large stem with many small cocks.

Freeze it upon reaching full maturity, when the cocks become dense enough. They must be whole and healthy.

Then you need to sort the cocks, removing the yellowed leaves, blanch a little and cool under running cold water.

Pack in a container, put in the freezer.

• Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is considered the most valuable variety for consumption as it contains many nutrients.

It almost completely retains all the required nutrients and vitamins. To do this, you must first prepare the vegetable.

Rinse the stems thoroughly, cut in half, into several pieces or grate.

Blanch for 3 minutes, cool under running ice water, arrange in bags, put in the freezer.

• Cauliflower

Colored can be frozen in the freezer dry or with filling.

To do this, you need to take fully ripe heads of cabbage with dense inflorescences, peel off green leaves, and distribute into individual inflorescences.

Cut the rough ends of the inflorescences so that they do not disintegrate and retain their original shape.

Then rinse them thoroughly, blanch a little, rinse with ice water, put in a prepared container, put in the freezer.

How to keep cabbage leaves for stuffed cabbage for the winter?

For the preparation of cabbage rolls in winter, you can use frozen white cabbage leaves.

To do this, you need to choose a dense fresh head of cabbage without damage, remove coarse excess leaves, cut them off at the base with a sharp knife.

Take a large saucepan, boil water and blanch the nice clean leaves in it for 1-2 minutes.

Pull out, rinse with ice water, pack in bags and put in the freezer.

You can store it in the freezer for a long time.

Thanks to a properly carried out technological process, it is possible to preserve absolutely all useful substances.

However, in this case, the product must be defrosted only before use. Re-freezing is not allowed.

• How to cook stuffed cabbage rolls from frozen leaves?

You can make delicious homemade cabbage rolls, however, you need to know how to prepare this dish correctly.

To do this, defrost the leaves, wrap the filling in them, stew for 30 minutes in tomato sauce and can be served.

What can be made from frozen cabbage?

You can freeze a wide variety of cabbage, which is then used to prepare many dishes.

Chopped can be used to make borscht or hodgepodge.

It should be noted that before preparing a dish, it does not need to be defrosted first.

In time, you need to cook a little less than fresh cabbage.

You can also add it to cutlets or roasts.

It is just not suitable for preparing salads, as it becomes less crispy when thawed.

The pie turns out to be very tasty, tender, since it becomes softer when frozen and it takes much less time to cook the dish.

Or colored can be fried in a frying pan in deep fat or in batter.

The result is a fairly satisfying, tasty, healthy dish that can be consumed hot or cold. You can create a culinary masterpiece from it, making absolutely any dish, just like from a fresh vegetable.

Broccoli can be used as a side dish as well as in casseroles.

Delicious, healthy purees for young children are prepared from it, since all useful substances are completely preserved in this product.

Frozen cabbage, regardless of its type, completely retains all the nutrients, which is why it is suitable for cooking various dishes.

In addition, with proper preparation and use of the product, the heat treatment time is significantly reduced.

Freeze cabbage correctly and bon appetit!

Cauliflower is a representative of the edible angiosperm of the type Cabbage. This is a fairly tasty and healthy vegetable, which is most often consumed after cooking. Unfortunately, like any plant, cauliflower has its own ripening and storage periods. Therefore, the peak of its sales falls on a certain time of the year. When is the best time to buy cauliflower and how to store it for a long time?

Why you should eat cauliflower

As a rule, cauliflower is more expensive than regular white cabbage, which is why many people neglect to eat it. In fact, this representative of the species is much more useful than many of its relatives. Cauliflower is high in ascorbic acid, vitamin K, niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamine, and other vitamins. In addition, it contains trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.

There are more proteins in cauliflower than in white cabbage, and there is less fiber. That is why it can be used as complementary foods for babies and dieters.

Useful properties of this plant:

• Strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• Reduces blood cholesterol levels;
• It has anti-inflammatory properties;
• Has a positive effect on the nervous system;
• It has a wound-healing effect, helps gastrointestinal ulcers to heal;
• Helps control blood glucose levels;
• Promotes weight loss.

In order to get the most out of a plant, you need to know how to choose and store it correctly.

How to choose and where to store cauliflower

Cauliflower ripens several times a year, depending on the variety. The early representatives are collected in July, the late ones - in October-November. The plant is stored in a dark place where it gradually ripens. At home, cauliflower can be stored in the refrigerator, but there it will lose its beneficial properties. You can only eat a product that has been in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days.

The only way to extend the life of a cabbage is to freeze it. In order for the cauliflower not to lose its beneficial properties and taste during the freezing process, a number of special rules must be observed.

Preparing cauliflower for freezing

First you need to choose the right head of cabbage, which will subsequently be frozen. It should be a young, light, dense and heavy head, surrounded by green juicy leaves. Cauliflower that is spotted or has yellow or sluggish leaves is definitely not suitable for freezing. Next, you should consistently perform the following actions:

Rinse the head of cabbage under cold running water.

Separate the head from the leaves. They are not suitable for human consumption, but they can be used as a face mask or as a folk remedy for wound healing.
Disassemble the head of cabbage into inflorescences. Remember that they should be roughly the same shape and size. If you need cauliflower for different purposes, you can alternately freeze packets of different bud sizes.

Dip the cabbage in salted water. Water can be collected in a deep bowl, add salt there. Approximately 1 tablespoon per liter. This stage is necessary in order for those insects that may have been hiding in the inflorescences to leave the cabbage.

Rinse the cabbage to remove salt under running water.

The most important process in all cooking is the destruction of unnecessary enzymes. These are substances that reduce the shelf life of cabbage and contribute to its darkening. To eliminate them, you must put the cabbage in boiling water. Just take the already washed inflorescences and a pot of freshly boiled water, place the inflorescences in the water for three minutes. It should not be kept longer, otherwise the cabbage will simply be cooked before freezing.

Next, it is very important to cool the cabbage as quickly as possible. If this is not done, it will remain soft and will not retain its taste. To cool, put ice cubes in a bowl and immediately after boiling water, transfer the inflorescences to these cubes. The process of rapid heating and the same rapid cooling in cooking is called balancing.

Dry the cabbage thoroughly. Do not freeze product containing water on the surface. Spread out on a clean towel to dry the flowers. It is better to exclude additional exposure to hot air or sunlight.

Pack the cabbage in small, airtight bags. These bags can be purchased at the store and are specially designed for freezing food. It is important to let all the air out of the bag before putting it in the refrigerator.

Label each portion, making sure to indicate the exact date of freezing. Cauliflower, like any product, has its own shelf life, the countdown should be carried out precisely from the date of freezing.

How long to store and how to cook frozen cauliflower

The inflorescences in the freezer can only be thawed once. They should be stored no more than 9 months after the start of freezing at a temperature not exceeding -18 ° C. It is important to maintain the same temperature regime throughout the freezing period, otherwise the cabbage will lose its taste.

Inflorescences can be defrosted before use, or you can start cooking frozen ones immediately. For frying, baking, and eating raw, the first option is best. To defrost the cabbage, steam it or put it in boiling water for a minute and a half. Do not defrost vegetables in the microwave, they will become soft, lethargic and tasteless from this.

If you are going to boil cauliflower, for example, by making soup from it, then you can immediately put frozen inflorescences in the water, they will thaw during the cooking process.

We can conclude that cauliflower is not only tasty, but also a healthy product that is stored in the freezer for the longest time. Before freezing, it is important to properly prepare, disinfect, deferment and package the inflorescences. Then the cabbage can be consumed unchanged for a long time.

Video: harvesting cauliflower for the winter

Where crispy cabbage is needed (salads, for example), you will have to get it from the underground or buy it on the market. For other dishes, for example, frozen cabbage is also suitable.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before choosing freezing as a way to store cabbage for the winter, it is worth understanding its usefulness. It is worth noting that it is becoming an increasingly popular way to preserve vegetables on a par with.

Pros of freezing :

Minuses:

• cabbage becomes soft, not suitable for salads;
• the view deteriorates, becomes unattractive;
• takes up space in the freezer;
• does not crunch after defrosting.

Like any method, freezing cabbage for the winter has both pros and cons. The main advantage of this method is the preservation of the vegetable all useful properties... The main disadvantage is the loss of its original appearance.

Rules for freezing cabbage for the winter

How to freeze white cabbage for the winter? Freezing is a simple process. Even a novice hostess can handle it. However, it also has its own characteristics.

Cabbage needs to be prepared for storage in frozen form:

• choose good, whole, well-formed, strong heads of cabbage;
• make sure there is no decay, damage by insects and the insects themselves;

  If a caterpillar or slug lurks among the cabbage leaves, then most likely they will be frozen along with the cabbage. During the subsequent defrosting and cooking of the dish, insects can get into it. This is extremely unpleasant. It is worth very carefully examining the cabbage before freezing.

• remove the top leaves;
• rinse the cabbage in cool water;
• dry with a towel.

Read about the rules on our website.

The ways

Depending on the further use, cabbage is frozen in several ways. How to freeze white cabbage for the winter in the freezer?

Whole head of cabbage

This method is ideal for further cooking. stuffed cabbage.

If you cook them from such cabbage, there is no need to boil and soften the sheets first. Once frozen, they will become soft and immediately ready For filling.

To freeze whole cabbage, you need cut a stump, peel, rinse, dry the cabbage. Wrapping the prepared cabbage in cling film, place it in the freezer.

For defrosting, cabbage is simply transferred to the refrigerator, it thaws a little and becomes ready for use.

Leaves

This is how cabbage is frozen too, mostly for making stuffed cabbage... The procedure is as follows:

• prepare the cabbage: wash, remove the top leaves;
• remove the stump;
• boil a little;
• disassemble into leaves;
• put them in bags;
• to freeze.

After defrosting, you can cook immediately stuffed cabbage rolls from such leaves. Fast and convenient.

Chopped

The most popular freezing method. Such a cabbage can be used in cooking borscht, stewing... To freeze chopped cabbage, you must:

• prepare heads of cabbage: wash, remove the top sheets, dry;
• chop cabbage;
• put in plastic bags;
• to freeze.

Chopped cabbage can be frozen not only separately, but also combined with other vegetables... Thus, beautiful blanks are obtained.

Place and container

How and where to freeze cabbage? For freezing perfect fit:

• freezer compartment of the refrigerator;
• separate chest freezer.

To put cabbage there use:

• plastic bags;
• cling film.

Shredded cabbage or its leaves are frozen in bags. Whole heads of cabbage can be frozen either in bags or wrapped in plastic wrap.

You will learn how to freeze shredded cabbage in cling film and other vegetables for the winter from the video:

Temperature and shelf life

Shelf life of frozen cabbage - up to 10 months... When frozen in freezers, cabbage gets into temperature -18 ° С... It should be stored at this temperature.

If the cabbage is removed and thawed, re-freeze it should not be exposed.

Thus, freezing is a good option for harvesting cabbage for the winter. It has a number of advantages:

Do cabbage need to be thawed before use? In most cases, no. For borscht, cabbage soup and other hot dishes, you can also use unfrozen. If there is such a need, it is enough to remove the bag of frozen cabbage from the freezer and leave it in the refrigerator for several hours.

Attention! Do not defrost cabbage with hot or cold water, microwave oven or other heating means. In this case, it will finally lose its qualities and properties.

Such a method as freezing is hardly suitable for harvesting the entire cabbage harvest for the winter. However, some part of the cabbage can be frozento provide yourself with this vegetable for the whole winter.