How to keep early cabbage after cutting longer

You can store early cabbage both in a country house and in an apartment. In the first case, a basement, cellar or pantry is suitable, in the second – a refrigerator or a balcony. It should be noted that cabbage is very demanding on storage conditions. And even if all parameters are observed, early varieties lie no more than 2,5 months. If the harvest is large, some should be immediately sent for pickling or pickling.

What varieties to choose for storage

For storage for the winter, you need to carefully select varieties of early cabbage. Almost all varieties give a harvest in the first half of summer, and this complicates storage. Even under all conditions, heads of cabbage lie for only 1,5-2 months, after which they inevitably begin to deteriorate.

For long-term storage, early cabbage is not suitable, so it is better to choose mid-season varieties, and even better late ones. They ripen for quite a long time, and even after harvesting they continue to sing, acquiring even more interesting flavors. The following varieties are recommended for storage: Amager, Slava, Wintering, Orbita, Late Moscow, Turkiz, Valentine.

Preparing heads for storage

When preparing early cabbage for storage, it is necessary to properly cut the crop, sort the heads, and then pack them well. It is this approach that will allow you to save vegetables for two months or more.

Cutting rules

If you leave heads with roots, they will be stored longer. But they will have to be cleaned of wet soil, which can provoke rotting of neighboring forks. Therefore, it is better to simply cut the stump flush with the foliage. It is permissible to leave a small stump up to 1 cm. Sections should be even and neat, they do not need to be processed.

Cleaning and sorting

On the eve of storage, it is necessary to carry out certain preparations:

1. Remove all damaged leaves from the head, as well as those that do not fit snugly. They are not needed, because they will quickly rot anyway.
2. Then the forks are wrapped with ordinary cling film (stacked in several layers). It is desirable that it be wide. Air bubbles should not remain on the surface.
3. There is another packaging option – wrap it tightly with paper and put it in a strong plastic bag, which should have several holes for air access. Over time, the paper will become damp and should be replaced.
4. Then you can send heads of cabbage for storage. Periodically, they need to be inspected in order to remove rotten forks in time.

For long-term storage, only healthy and dense specimens without damage are selected.

As for sorting, here one should pay attention not so much to the sizes and varieties, but to the condition of the heads. For storage, choose the best heads of early cabbage. They should be dense and healthy, whole and without damage. Forks must not show signs of disease or insect damage. Unsuitable heads of cabbage do not need to be thrown away – they are used fresh, and also for conservation, for example, they are sent for fermentation.

Fresh storage conditions

Early, like other varieties of cabbage (medium, late), are very demanding on storage conditions. They lie well only at specific temperatures (narrow range) and high humidity. The room should be dark, it is equally important to ensure a constant flow of air so that moisture does not stagnate and mold does not form.

Temperature

The permissible storage temperature range is from 0 to +5 degrees. In this case, a narrower interval from 0 to +2 is considered ideal. If you manage to constantly maintain this temperature, early cabbage will lie for more than two months (usually this is the deadline). If the temperature periodically falls below 0, the heads of cabbage will freeze and lose their taste, although they will not deteriorate. If it is warm enough, the flesh will quickly soften and may rot.

Air humidity

Another important parameter is air humidity. Cabbage does not tolerate dry air, but increased rates are also harmful, they can lead to rotting and mold. The optimal range is considered 80-90%. The acceptable lower limit is 75%. To reliably determine humidity, it is recommended to purchase an inexpensive hygrometer (it often comes with a thermometer).

Tara

For storage of early cabbage, it is recommended to choose ordinary wooden boxes.

Containers made of natural material have several advantages:

• perfectly pass air;
• affordable;
• roomy;
• standard sizes allow you to arrange containers in several rows.

It is better to choose not solid boxes, but with holes. Then they will let air through even better – there is less chance that the bumps will rot. It is not necessary to cover the container with a lid. Another tip – containers should not be placed directly on the floor of the cellar or other room. It is better to install on a support, for example, on a wooden pallet. It is undesirable to use metal and concrete coasters – they come from a strong cold.

How to store early cabbage at home

There are several ways to store forks available at home. The easiest option is to put them in the refrigerator. It is allowed to place on the balcony or put in the pantry, cellar.

In a refrigerator

You can store early white cabbage in the refrigerator. Before that, it must be wrapped with paper or plastic wrap. It is necessary to wrap tightly, and then lay it on a vegetable shelf or in a freshness zone (available in modern models). If possible, heads of cabbage should be placed in a box, the walls of which are insulated with foam, or in a special thermal container.

On the balcony

Since early cabbage ripens already in June-July, it will not work right away to lay it on the balcony. First, the forks should be held in the cellar or in the refrigerator. Then, when the temperature on the balcony does not rise above +5 degrees, the crop can be rescheduled. Forks must be covered with burlap or other dense fabric so that direct sunlight does not fall on them.

In the cellar

Another way to store early cabbage is in the cellar. This is one of the best options, since both temperature and suitable humidity can be provided here. Heads of cabbage are placed in boxes and placed in rows. Periodically the cellar needs to be ventilated. You can store up to 2-2,5 months.

The width should correspond to one head, length – 10 pcs. Forks of early cabbage are laid with the stumps up, and the covering leaves are tucked a little. Then they are sprinkled with dry soil, foliage, peat or straw are laid on top.

In the pantry

Storage of early cabbage in the pantry is also possible if it is possible to maintain a stable temperature regime. As a rule, this is only possible in a country house or in a country house – in a city apartment, even in a niche for products, it is too warm.

In the pantry, you can make wooden shelves to accommodate the entire crop

Shelf life of early cabbage

You can save the harvest of early cabbage for the winter in different ways, while the timing largely depends on the crop:

• storage of early varieties – up to 60 days;
• mid-season varieties – about 90 days;
• late-ripening – 3-4 months, sometimes a few weeks longer.

There are some kind of champions in terms of storage. So, “Wintering” can be kept up to seven months, “Gift” – at least five. Storage of Dutch hybrids “Lennox”, “Marathon” and “Bartolo” is available even longer.

To increase the shelf life of early cabbage, it is recommended to follow certain growing rules:

1. If possible, make a bed of loamy soil, not sandy loam.
2. Do not abuse watering, especially if the autumn is rainy.
3. Use fertilizers in moderation, especially nitrogen. They are used only in the early stages of growth.

Canned cabbage

A reliable way to preserve early cabbage, which is suitable for beginners and experienced gardeners, is to preserve the crop for the winter. One of the most popular harvesting methods is fermentation. For cooking, take several products in such quantities:

• cabbage – 1 kg;
• carrots – 0,5 kg;
• salt 20-25 g.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Grind the carrots with a large grater.
2. Chop the cabbage.
3. Combine with carrots and sprinkle with salt.
4. Mix thoroughly, but do not crush the vegetables.
5. Line the bottom of the container with large leaves of early cabbage.
6. Pack vegetables as tightly as possible.
7. Fill the container to the top and cover again with large leaves.
8. Place a flat plate or lid on top.
9. Place a weight of 3-5 kg ​​or more on it.
10. Remove the lid daily and pierce the mass with a wooden stick.
11. After three days, transfer the tub to a cold place, for example, in a refrigerator or on a balcony.

Sauerkraut can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to six months.

For storage for the winter, early cabbage is recommended to pickle. You will need the following ingredients:

• cabbage – 1 kg;
• carrots – 1 pcs .;
• sugar – 1 st. l .;
• water – 1 l;
• vinegar essence – 1 tsp. (or food vinegar 9% – 7 tsp);
• salt – 2 Art. l .;
• fresh garlic – 3 tooth;
• pepper – 10 peas;
• bay leaf – 2-3 pcs.

To prepare the workpiece, you must proceed as follows:

1. Sterilize a 1 liter jar.
2. Put pepper, chopped garlic cloves and bay leaves on the bottom.
3. Chop the fork.
4. Grind carrots on a coarse grater.
5. Fill the container to the top and squeeze a little.
6. Prepare a marinade with salt and sugar, turn off the boil and add vinegar.
7. Pour the marinade into a jar and roll up the lid.
8. Wrap with a blanket and let cool completely, and then store in the refrigerator or on the balcony.

Conclusion

You can store early cabbage in a cool and fairly humid place. It should be well ventilated so that the forks do not get moldy. Periodically they are inspected and rotten specimens are removed. If it is necessary to preserve the crop for the whole winter, late-ripening rather than early varieties should be used.