How To Save Cabbage. Part 2

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Having collected the long-awaited harvest of cabbage and properly preparing it for subsequent storage, one should be puzzled by the question of where and how crispy cabbage will be stored. Wooden crates, newsprint or polyethylene bags are great for storing cabbage crops. Or you can go further and try to keep the heads of cabbage in the clay. At the same time, it is impossible to say unequivocally which method is the best - each of them is good in its own way

Storage conditions

Best of all, cabbage heads will be stored at temperatures from minus one to plus ten degrees. And the best indicator of relative humidity will be 95% - it is this level that is a kind of guarantor of slowing down the development of all kinds of ailments, which in turn will contribute to better preservation of the cabbage harvest. By the way, the above storage conditions are suitable not only for white cabbage, but also for Savoy and red cabbage.

Cabbage, under favorable conditions, is very well preserved for six months. If suddenly the storage temperature exceeds the recommended values, then the heads of cabbage will be stored much worse, and in some cases they will even begin to crack and slowly sprout. Sometimes they can become covered with destructive gray mold. If the temperature is lower than the required one (from minus two degrees or less), then the formation of darkening and so-called "cuffs" begins on the cabbage, and the inner parts of the heads of cabbage begin to decompose gradually. At the same time, the decomposition of cabbage occurs only from the inside and is accompanied by a very unpleasant and repulsive smell, while its outer parts look quite healthy.

Storage options

Most often, well-dried cabbage is sent to be stored in cellars or basements. In order for the heads of cabbage to be stored there as best as possible, it is extremely important to provide good ventilation in these rooms so that the cabbage is completely dry and cool down properly. You can open the door and the hood for this purpose.

It is important to know that it is undesirable to store cabbage in the immediate vicinity of potatoes and various root crops.

In cellars and basements, cabbage heads are most often laid out on wooden shelves. In this case, the size of the gaps between the boards should be about three centimeters. It is quite permissible to lay out the harvested cabbage on wooden boxes with five centimeter gaps - most often such boxes are installed directly on the floor. And cabbage is stacked with stalks upward in several rows in a checkerboard pattern - this solution provides an excellent flow of air to the heads of cabbage.

One of the best and rather spectacular types of storage is considered to be the hanging of cabbage heads connected in pairs on perches under the ceiling. In this case, it is important to completely eliminate the likelihood of their contact. Dried top leaves tightly adhering to the heads of cabbage perfectly protect the cabbage from drying out.

To save space, cabbage can also be stored in boxes with a capacity of 30 kg, installed in several tiers. It is allowed to store cabbage in the sand - for this, the sand must be moistened beforehand (it must abundantly cover the bottom of the cellar), and the heads of cabbage are placed in it with stumps down, keeping a distance of about five centimeters between them. However, when choosing this storage method, it is necessary to remove the interfering outer leaves from cabbage heads in advance.

Some gardeners wrap each head of cabbage in newsprint and lay out all the heads of cabbage on racks (always separately). At the same time, it is important to systematically observe the paper - if it darkens or becomes moistened, the heads of cabbage will first need to be cleaned of the top layer of leaves, and then wrapped in new newsprint. Sometimes they are packed in open bags made of polyethylene - in one bag, you can easily place from five to ten cabbage heads previously wrapped in paper. Such bags in the basement are usually laid out in rows.

Claying cabbage is another great storage option. The cabbage heads cleared of the first green leaves are tied with twine, after which they are thoroughly coated with a rather thick clay mixture. And when they are a little dry, they are hung in the basement on a string.