What to do if the cabbage is frozen

Cabbage is harvested later than other vegetables. Light frosts often benefit her: the leaves become sweeter and tastier when salted. But it often happens that the weather forecast turns out to be incorrect, the thermometer drops significantly below zero, and the vegetables freeze badly. However, in this situation, cabbage can be eaten. What to do if it is frozen in the garden and how to remove it, you will learn from the article.

What to do if cabbage is frozen

Even frozen cabbage does not lose taste... It, like fresh, is suitable for preparing first and second courses, and in some cases it will cook even faster (for example, when stuffing cabbage rolls).

With cold-resistant heads of cabbage, there are fewer worries: they easily tolerate frosts down to -5 ° C. Therefore, take your time to remove them from the garden in warmer weather. But already cut cabbage is more tender, and such low indicators do not suit her. But any cabbage cannot stand repeated exposure to low temperatures, so do not expect that, once frozen, the cabbage will become stronger.

Loose heads of cabbage are more resistant to cold, dense ones freeze harder and faster... The reason is in the layer of air inside. It acts as a heat insulator and helps to retain more heat.

How to properly remove frozen cabbage

If the head of cabbage is frozen on the vine, do not rush to cut it. If, according to the weather forecast, even a slight warming is expected, wait a day. The vegetable will thaw on its own. If the cabbage has already been exposed to frost, do not wait. It won't get better.

Examine the heads of cabbage affected by the cold. If some of the upper leaves are frozen, separate them with scissors and place them in a cool place to thaw in a convenient box with cardboard bedding. Remember to check from time to time to see if the head of cabbage has begun to rot. Store forks it is better not to pile one on top of the other, but to lay it out in 1-2 rows and sprinkle abundantly with crushed chalk.

A frozen vegetable is stored in paper, not just newsprint, but clean, without drawings... It will keep the vegetables from drying out. You can hang 2 heads of cabbage from the ceiling. Pierce the stumps and pass a rope or twine through the holes. Insert a sheet of thick paper between the heads.

Another storage option is in large boxes with river sand... Choose containers that are suitable for the size, pour a few centimeters of sand on the bottom. Cut off 3-4 top leaves from heads of cabbage. Place the vegetables in the sand with stalks. Spray the sand with water from a spray bottle from time to time.

Some gardeners do preserve culture in the ground... To do this, a long trench is dug in the ground, the bottom is covered with a layer of fresh straw (5-8 cm). Cabbage is laid with stalks up in one layer and covered with clean sand on top.

It is important that the heads of cabbage do not touch each other.... This will save vegetables from mass decay. Dry manure is poured onto the sand, and then a thin layer of soil.

Attention! If you are afraid that vegetables will harm mice or rats, use regular pine needles. Place a thin layer on the bottom under the cabbage and on top of the sand.

If the cabbage is very frozen, thaw it in 2 stages... First, put it in a cool room with a temperature of + 1 ... + 5 ° C for 2-3 days, and then in a warmer room - + 10 ... + 15 ° C. It is advisable to put such cabbage into action as soon as possible.

If 2-3 leaves of a head of cabbage are frozen, it will be stored for more than 3 months, 5-6 sheets - no more than 2.5-3 months. If the core is frozen, throw it away without regret. Once in the heat, it will start to rot. Such a vegetable is unsafe to eat even after cooking.

Cabbage should not be planted in low-lying areas and on heavy soil... In such places, the temperature is always several degrees lower than on the plain, and the moisture stagnates. Care is also important. If you feed the seedlings on time and destroy pests, the cabbage will be healthy and strong, and the damage from frost is less.

What to do with frozen cabbage

Frozen cabbage can be fermented... If the top leaves of the head are damaged, they are torn off, and the forks are used for their intended purpose. But if he has been freezing more than once, a tasty preparation from a vegetable will no longer work. The shredded pieces will be lethargic, soft, and will begin to creep into an unappetizing porridge. And the process of decay in the mass will begin quickly.

Sour cabbage can be in quarters (in halves) small pieces or shredded... The smaller the portion, the faster it will ferment. If there is not enough juice in the process, add 0.5 tbsp to the pan. salted water.

Frozen leaves will make soft and tasty stuffed cabbage... The leaves do not need to be doused with boiling water: they are already tender. Fry the onions and boil the rice, mix everything with the salted minced meat, wrap the finished mixture in leaf envelopes and send to the pan. Pour tomato sauce over the finished dish.

reference... Many cooks prefer to make cabbage rolls from frozen cabbage leaves: they do not break in the process.

Frozen cabbage is also suitable for cooking borscht... You do not need to change anything in the recipe, but it cannot be exposed to prolonged heat exposure. Cabbage will creep into unappetizing fibers. Boil the potatoes, and then, after reducing the heat, add the chopped vegetable.

Pancakes, hodgepodge, garnish for cutlets or potatoes - frozen cabbage is suitable for all of the above dishes. It is also cooked in batter. Boil the leaves, roll them up in a tube or envelope, brush them thickly with batter and fry in a large amount of sunflower or olive oil.

Attention! But salads from frozen cabbage will turn out to be tasteless.

Conclusion

Now you know what to do if it's frozen and you didn't have time to remove the cabbage. Do not rush to throw away or feed such heads of cabbage to livestock. Even a spoiled crop can be partially saved, or you can make delicious borsch, cabbage rolls or pies from the vegetable.