Can cooked cabbage be frozen? - The form correct

Delicious and nutritious at the same time, cabbage is a wonderful vegetable to have around the house. It can be used in many different dishes and can be found really cheap most of the time. Stocking up on cabbage is a good idea, but its shelf life is quite limited when stored in the fridge.

If you want to keep cabbage for longer, can you freeze it? Yes, cabbage can be frozen, but you have to cook it first. As a leafy vegetable, cabbage does not keep well if frozen raw, due to the stringy membranes and high water content. Freezing raw cabbage and then thawing it will result in soggy, mushy cabbage.

If you cook the cabbage before freezing it, it will hardly change its flavor or texture. If you don’t want to fully cook the cabbage before freezing it, you can opt to blanch it beforehand, which will make the cabbage more resistant to cold temperatures.

Choosing the Right Cabbage to Freeze

You have to choose the right cabbage to freeze as the process will affect the quality and flavor of the cabbage, so the better quality and healthier the cabbage is before freezing, the better the cabbage will hold up when frozen.

Be sure to buy fresh sprouts to freeze. These should have solid, dense heads, and the leaves should be fresh green. Avoid freezing cabbages that have yellow or wilted leaves. Also make sure to check the expiration date on the packaging.

Most cabbages are picked when they are at their peak of freshness, but then stored in a warehouse and shipped. If possible, try to buy your cabbage at a local farmer’s market, where you can be sure it’s as fresh as possible.

If you are lucky enough to have cabbages growing in your own garden, you should pick them in the morning, before it gets too hot. You should wait for frost to approach before picking sprouts from the garden, to ensure optimal freshness.

types of cabbages to freeze

There are quite a few different types of cabbages, and some hold up to freezing better than others. Here are a few types of cabbage to choose from, all used in different ways and in different foods.

Green Cabbage - Green cabbage is the most common type and is best when cooked. It can be used in many ways, including adding it to stews and stir-fries.

Red Cabbage - Red cabbage has a beautiful red/purple color. Although red cabbage is almost as popular as green cabbage, it is often used raw in salads and stews.

Bok Choy - Bok choy is incredibly popular in Chinese cuisine and is known for its deep green leaves and fleshy stems. It is very fibrous and tough and must be steamed before eating.

Savoy Cabbage - Savoy cabbage is very characteristic, with patterned leaves and a light green hue. Savoy cabbage is mostly cooked and added to stir-fries and soups, but it is a seasonal vegetable and not available year-round.

Prepare cabbage for freezing

You have to make sure the cabbage is cooked before you freeze it, and if it’s not already in a meal, you should blanch it first. Blanching the cabbage helps to retain nutrients and maintain the natural color, and ensures that the cabbage maintains its high quality and flavor when frozen and thawed.

To prepare the cabbage for blanching, you need to wash the heads well.

Get rid of bugs and dirt hiding under the leaves, and you can even soak the cabbage in salt water for 30 minutes to make sure it’s completely bug free.  Once the cabbage has soaked in the brine solution, rinse it well under running water.

The next step is to peel the yellow leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters. Avoid removing the coring, as the coring helps hold the leaves together during blanching. With kitchen paper, dry the cabbage by gently patting it.

It’s time to blanch the cabbage.

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
• When the water is boiling, add the quartered cabbage pieces.
• Leave the cabbage in the boiling water for a minute and a half.
• When the sprouts have been boiling for a minute and a half, remove them and place them in an ice bath. This prevents further cooking and helps maintain the natural green color . Use a colander to remove the sprouts from the boiling water and place them in ice water.
• When the cabbage has completely cooled, remove it from the ice bath and try to shake off any excess water.

freeze cabbage

It is important to make sure that the cabbage is as dry as possible before freezing it. Any excess water in the cabbage will cause freezer burn and the formation of excess ice crystals, which could destroy the cell walls of the cabbage leaves and leave them soggy when thawed.

Place the cabbage leaves on a baking tray and put it in the freezer. This will freeze the cabbage leaves, preventing them from sticking together when frozen . The cabbage will need about two hours in the freezer to freeze.

Once the cabbage has frozen on the cookie sheet, you can place the leaves in freezer-safe plastic bags. Remove as much excess air as possible from the plastic bags, seal them tightly, and label them with the best-before date . Pop these plastic freezer bags in and you’re done!

You can also choose to shred the cabbage first and then put it in the freezer bags. This is useful if you plan to use the cabbage in cooked foods, such as soups or stews.

Freeze cooked cabbage meals

If you have used cabbage in some meals and want to freeze it, you can. Obviously, the process will be very different from blanching and freezing the cabbage, as other ingredients are now involved.

Here are some popular foods that call for cabbage, and the best ways to freeze them:

Cabbage Soup

Cabbage soup is a popular diet food, and making it every day can be a bit of a chore. You can successfully freeze cabbage soup to have a few servings on hand for when you need a quick fix.

It is best to use rigid plastic containers with airtight lids.  Pour the cabbage soup into the airtight containers, making sure there is some room left in the containers, do not fill them to the top. Cabbage soup will expand when frozen, so allow plenty of room for this.

Close the lids tightly, label the containers with the freeze date, and put them in the freezer. You can freeze several smaller containers for individual meals or one large container for a family dinner.

It is best to use stiff plastic containers, rather than plastic freezer bags, as it can be difficult to pour the soup into flimsy plastic bags, and then pour the thawed soup into a bowl.

cabbage rolls

The cabbage in the cabbage rolls will have cooked well before freezing, so you’ll need to do a little preparation to ensure the cabbage doesn’t get soggy once thawed.

Begin the process by chilling the leftover cabbage rolls in the fridge for a few hours.  Next, place the cabbage rolls in a freezer-safe container. Once the rolls have cooled, place them directly in the freezer.

If you’re making a large batch of cabbage rolls with the intention of freezing a few, try freezing the cabbage leaves separately, so you can build the cabbage rolls when it’s time to eat them. It’s the best way to prevent them from getting soaked.

fried cabbage

Fried cabbage is often mixed with a bit of fried bacon, as the two flavors complement each other deliciously.

Fried cabbage is very easy to freeze, but try not to cook it all the way, allowing it to have some crispness before freezing . Place the leftover fried cabbage and bacon in the fridge and allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, place portions in plastic freezer bags, squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal tightly. Label the bags with the freeze date and put them in the freezer. Smaller portions make for quick meals or very easy side dishes throughout the week.

defrost frozen cabbage

You can not rush the process of thawing cabbage. If you do, the cabbage leaves will be completely spoiled and have a very mushy, soggy texture.

Avoid thawing the cabbage at room temperature, in the microwave, or under hot water. This will not only make it soggy, but it will also ruin the flavor and color.

The best way to thaw frozen cabbage is to leave it in the fridge overnight. This allows it to thaw slowly and gently, protecting the cabbage’s texture and flavor, and keeping it safe from higher temperatures that could also encourage bacterial growth.

Once the cabbage has thawed in the fridge overnight or a few hours, you can pop it in the microwave, oven, or pan to cook.

If you plan to use the cabbage in soups or stews, you can simply toss the frozen shredded cabbage into the dish to heat and cook—no need to thaw it first.

cabbage shelf life

Knowing how long cabbage can be kept fresh, refrigerated, frozen, and at room temperature will help you ensure that your cabbage is of the highest quality when it comes time to eat it.

• The duration of the cabbage in the refrigerator or freezer will depend on the conditions of handling and storage.
• If stored correctly in the fridge, in airtight containers, cooked cabbage will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
• Stored properly in the freezer, in freezer-safe plastic bags or an airtight container, cooked cabbage can last up to 12 months. After this time, it can be consumed, but the quality will begin to deteriorate.
• Once frozen and thawed in the fridge, the cooked cabbage can be kept in the fridge for an additional 3 days.
• If cabbage has been reheated or thawed in the microwave or at room temperature, it should be eaten immediately and not saved for later consumption.
• If the cooked cabbage is left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, it should be thrown away.
• The danger zone for bacteria is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and cabbage, or any cooked food, exposed to this temperature range for more than 2 hours risks becoming unsafe to eat. This bacterial growth can lead to food poisoning. Refreezing food will not kill the bacteria, it will only render them inactive. Once thawed, the bacteria will start to thrive again.
• You can refreeze cooked cabbage once thawed, as long as it hasn’t been exposed to temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If the cabbage is kept in the fridge, and even better if it still has ice crystals on it, it can be refrozen. However, if the cooked cabbage has been heated or has been left out at room temperature, you should not refreeze it. Not only will the risk of bacterial growth increase, but refreezing and thawing will greatly deteriorate the flavor and texture of the cooked cabbage.
• To tell if cooked cabbage has gone bad, you need to smell and look at the cabbage. If the smell or appearance are not adequate, it is better to discard it. It’s not worth risking getting sick from spoiled cabbage.

Related questions

Can cooked red cabbage be frozen?

Red cabbage, once cooked or blanched, freezes very well, as does the popular green cabbage. Once thawed, red cabbage can be successfully reheated and added to many dishes.

It is important to blanch the cabbage first, as red cabbage is very bright in color, and blanching will help keep this color, and nutrients, in good condition.

Can raw cabbage be frozen?

Raw cabbage can be frozen, either quartered or shredded. You can wrap it in plastic or aluminum foil, or put it in freezer bags.

Frozen raw cabbage is best used in soups or stews, as its texture does not hold as well as frozen cabbage that has been blanched before freezing.

The usual mushy or soggy consistency of thawed raw cabbage can be well disguised when added to soups or stews, but it doesn’t make the cabbage great to eat without cooking.

Can I freeze cabbage leaves to make cabbage rolls?

It is recommended to freeze the cabbage leaves separately if you want to freeze some cabbage rolls. Blanch the cabbage leaves in hot water, cool in an ice bath, and then place the leaves on a cookie sheet.

Quick freeze them and place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag. This prevents the sheets from sticking together, which could cause them to break.

Freeze cooked cabbage

Freezing cooked cabbage is a great way to use up excess produce, and it also allows you to keep a few extra ready meals on hand in the freezer for when weekdays get too busy to cook from scratch.

By following a few simple steps, you can successfully freeze cooked cabbage, ensuring that it retains its great quality and flavor when thawed.