2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Peking cabbage is very healthy and can perfectly complement almost any dish. And it is also good in that it does not require any special storage conditions - the main role in its successful storage is assigned only to the degree of maturation of the heads. You can preserve this valuable vegetable crop with equal success in the cellar and in the refrigerator, and in order to do this correctly, it is important to consider several important points
Which heads of cabbage are best kept?
As a rule, those heads of Peking cabbage that were cut at the earliest in mid-October or even later, immediately before frost, are best preserved. True, it is also not worth delaying harvesting too much - the keeping quality of frozen heads of cabbage decreases sharply (even if the air temperature drops only to minus two degrees).
As for the heads of cabbage collected from the beds, attacked by pests or diseases, they are generally not subject to long-term storage. And if they have wounds or injuries, and brownish dots or mucus appear on the leaves, this means that Chinese cabbage must be eaten as soon as possible.
For long-term storage, it is necessary to select not overripe and well-formed Peking cabbage. At the same time, it is not recommended to cut the heads of cabbage from the beds - it is best to carefully pull them out together with the roots, and then lightly dig the heads of cabbage into the wet sand in a fairly cool cellar or basement.
How to store
If there is no good storage available, the cut heads of Peking cabbage are placed in polyethylene bags and, tightly closed, are placed in boxes. It is necessary to put heads of cabbage in bags not too tightly and always vertically - it is important to try to make sure that there are no more than four to five pieces in one package.
When storing Peking cabbage in a cellar, it must be remembered that this culture is extremely unstable to wilting. In dry rooms, its leaves quickly lose moisture, since they are deprived of proper natural protection. That is why a sufficiently high humidity should be maintained in the cellars - its indicator should ideally be 95 - 98%. But it is definitely not worth bringing it up to 100% - stored heads of cabbage can overcome unpleasant fungal diseases.
To reduce the likelihood of drying out of Peking cabbage, it is necessary to leave several "protective" outer leaves on the heads of cabbage. Such leaves do not adhere very tightly to the heads of cabbage and begin to turn yellow and wither in the first place, thereby pushing back the inevitable withering of all other leaves.
The best temperature for storing heads of cabbage is from zero to two degrees - properly packaged Peking cabbage, subject to the above humidity standards, will easily lie for up to three months. And if the thermometer rises above four degrees, the growth of flowering stems may begin on the heads of cabbage.
Cold storage
If freshly cut heads of Peking cabbage are placed in the refrigerator without packaging, they will retain their freshness for ten days, no more. By the way, all heads of cabbage sent for storage in the refrigerator must be cleaned of loose leaves and not have any damage. In addition, they must be properly trimmed, healthy, unwashed and dry. Cuts from properly cut heads of cabbage should be located directly under the leaves, and their central veins should in no case be damaged.
To keep Chinese cabbage in the refrigerator longer, it is packed in bags or wrapped in cling film. And before sending it there, the heads of cabbage are cooled for at least two hours - in this case, drops of condensation will not form on the walls of the bags. In such a package, heads of cabbage can easily be stored for up to a month, and sometimes even more. However, Peking cabbage wrapped in newspaper or packed in paper bags is also preserved quite well.
And one more nuance: Peking cabbage cannot be stored next to apples - ethylene released from juicy apples has a detrimental effect on delicate cabbage leaves.
Freezing
It is quite possible to freeze Peking cabbage - for this it is disassembled into separate leaves, which, in turn, are wrapped in cling film or placed in plastic bags. And only after that, the valuable vegetable crop is sent to the freezer.
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