Cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables that provides a lot of nutrients to the body. You can find many types of cabbage that can be cooked like red cabbage, green cabbage, bok choy, and savoy cabbage.
Fresh cabbage, of course, can keep so well in the fridge but the question here is: Can you freeze cooked cabbage? Fortunately, the answer is Yes. You totally can freeze cooked cabbage with little to no texture or flavor changes. It is really a great way of preserving cabbage for future use.
Choose The Best Cabbage
There are many different types of cabbages, but all of them are quite easy to freeze. The way to freeze cooked cabbage will depend on how you plan to use it.
- Green cabbage: is the most popular type of cabbage that can be eaten raw and used in stir-fry, soup or braised dishes. You can also use green cabbage leaves to make cabbage rolls.
- Savoy cabbage: often used in stir-fry or soup recipes
- Red cabbage: frequently used in salads
- Bok Choy: First, soften it by steaming. Then, you can use it in stir-fry recipes and soups.
The quality of cabbage will affect its shelf life after being frozen, and that’s why picking the freshest product for freezing is very important.
You should choose cabbage with solid heads, and its leaves must be fresh and green. Do not buy cabbage with wilted or yellow leaves.
For cabbage bought at a supermarket, check the label carefully to gauge freshness. People often harvest cabbages and store them in the warehouse several days before bringing them to the supermarket for selling.
If you want to buy the freshest product, it is best to buy it directly from your local farmers. You can also ask them how to choose the perfect cabbage.
In case you get cabbage from your garden, do it early in the morning before it gets too hot for optimal freshness.
How Can You Freeze Cooked Cabbage?
So, the next question is how can you freeze cooked cabbage?
During the freezing process, the texture of the cabbage will not change or become malleable. Its flavors are also preserved.
Six months is the maximum amount of time you should leave cooked cabbage in the freezer. Any longer period than that may cause the cabbage to lose its flavor and texture.
To freeze cooked cabbage, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Pick the fresh cabbage and remove the outer leaves. Rinse it with clean water
Step 2: Cut cabbage into large wedges or small pieces
Step 3: Blanch cabbage. Blanching is an important process in frozen cabbage. It will help block the activity of enzymes as well as destroy any microorganisms in raw cabbage. However, this can make your cabbage less delicious.
To blanch cabbage, boil water, add the cabbage and let it cook for about three minutes. In case you cut the cabbage into small pieces, 1 minute and a half are enough.
Step 4: After the blanching process is complete, take the cabbage out and immediately plunge it into cold water for cooling.
Then, rinse the cabbage several times after cooling so that the extra moisture does not badly affect the quality of cabbage when it freezes.
Step 5: Pack the cabbage in food containers and frozen bags. Before putting it in the freeze, you can also use a vacuum machine to increase its shelf life.
Another way to freeze cooked cabbage is to cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces, then add spices and sauté cabbage before freezing them.
The difference in this method is that cabbage will be ready to eat right after the thawing it out because it has been added to spices and stir-fry. Heating it in an oven or microwave is also an option.
Some Notices When Thawing And Heating The Frozen Cabbage
“Can you freeze cooked cabbage?” – You have found the answer, so now, let’s take a look some notices when thawing the frozen cabbage.
Thawing cooked cabbage, as well as any frozen vegetables, need to be slow. You should never thaw the cabbage at room temperature as it will affect the texture and flavor of the product.
You only need to place frozen cabbage in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. When cooked cabbage has completely melted, you can heat the dish in the stove or the microwave.
In Conclusion
Can you freeze cooked cabbage? You can, of course. With just a few simple steps, you can freeze your cooked cabbage and will never have to worry about it going sour or sour after freezing. Like and share this article if you find it useful and thank you for reading!
