While it is possible to freeze cabbage, its structure does tend to break down on freezing. Blanching will help to preserve it better, although it won't be as good as the fresh cabbage. Provided you're okay with that, here is how to freeze a glut of cabbage.
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Steps
Whole Cabbage Leaves
Select a suitable cabbage. It should be fresh, clean and without any molding or damage.
Remove the coarse outer leaves. Discard or compost these.
Pull the remaining leaves away from the cabbage base. Use a knife to score a cut line at the base, then pull the leaves away intact.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Blanch the leaves in this for 1 1/2 minutes. Do this in batches rather than trying to blanch the whole cabbage at once.
Remove and dunk into a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking immediately.
Drain the leaves. Gently shake off excess water first. Place on absorbent paper or a wire rack to drain.
Pack into resealable bags or a container. Leave room for expansion, about 1.5cm/ 1/2 an inch. Remove as much air as possible if using a resealable bag.- Alternatively, the leaves can be arranged on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then frozen, then bagged or added to a container.
Seal the container or bag. Label and date the package. Place in the freezer.
Use. The frozen leaves can be added straight in soup, stews and for other cooked dishes. They can also be used for cabbage roll dishes––thaw the leaves in the refrigerator first.
Sliced Cabbage
Select a suitable cabbage. It should be fresh, clean and without any molding or damage.
Remove the coarse outer leaves. Discard or compost these.
Cut the cabbage. Either cut the cabbage into chunky wedges or shred it into medium shreds.
Blanch as for method one. Most likely you will be able to blanch a little more at a time, as there will be more space when the cabbage is cut down.- If you have wedges, these should be blanched for 3 minutes.[1]
Drain the blanched cabbage. Place in a colander or similar and allow the excess water to drip off. You can also spread the cabbage on absorbent paper towel to air dry once the excess water has dripped off.
Package and seal as above. You can also use reboilable bags in place of resealable bags, if preferred.
Use. This cabbage can be broken off in chunks or lumps as needed and added to soups, stews, stir-fries, etc. as needed. Add frozen to the cooking dish or thaw before adding. If thawing shredded cabbage for use in coleslaw or stir-fry, thaw in the refrigerator first.- Note: Not everyone agrees that thawed frozen cabbage works well for coleslaw, as it can turn quite mushy. Be aware that this could happen; if it does, use it in a cooked dish instead.
Freezing Sauerkraut[2]
Use fully fermented sauerkraut only.
Fill pint (600ml) or quart (950ml) size freezer bags or a freezer-proof container with the sauerkraut.
Leave a space at the top of about 1-2 inches (2.5-5cm) to allow for expansion when frozen. If using bags, push gently to expel as much air as possible before sealing.
Seal the bags. Label and date.
Place in the freezer. The sauerkraut will keep for 8 to 12 months frozen.
Use. Thaw the amount wanted in the refrigerator, then use as usual.
Tips
- Blanched frozen cabbage will keep for up to 10 to 12 months.
- Note: Cabbage will lose some of its flavor when frozen. This is the trade-off between losing all the fresh cabbage or keeping some of it for longer but not as tasty as when fresh.
Things You'll Need
- Cutting board and knife
- Cooking pot large enough for leaves
- Bowl of ice water
- Colander
- Absorbent paper towel
- Resealable bag or freezer-proof container
- Marker for labels
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