MTips

How to Store Cabbage in a Root Cellar
By Catherine Lynne
How to Store Cabbage in a Root Cellarthumbnail Cabbage will keep for several months in a root cellar.

A root cellar can seem to be the product of a bygone era. In this age of freezing and refrigeration, not to mention 24-hour grocery stores, storing vegetables without the use of electricity seems unreasonably cautious. However, storing the products of your garden can help to extend its usefulness past the growing season. If you have a home with a working root cellar, it is one of the easiest ways to store produce, especially root vegetables, through the winter months.
To Store Cabbage in a Root Cellar You’ll Need:

• Cabbage
• Knife
• Wooden storage containers or crates
• Dry leaves, hay or sawdust
• Root cellar
• Thermometer
• Humidity gauge

To Store Cabbage in a Root Cellar Instructions:

• Pick cabbage on a cool morning as late into the season as possible. Cabbage can stay in the ground until the frost stops its growth.
• Brush off any obvious dirt, trim the stem to the bottom of the cabbage head, and remove any loose leaves.
• Place a one-inch layer of dry leaves, straw or sawdust in a wooden crate.
• Place a layer of cabbage heads stem side up on the straw.
• Cover the cabbage with more straw and place another layer of cabbage if you have space in your storage crate.
• Place the storage crate in your root cellar away from other fruits and vegetables.

• Store only cabbages that are in good condition when you pick them. Do not store cabbages with cuts, bruising or other blemishes.
• Check your cabbages regularly for signs of decay and use or discard any cabbages that do not appear fresh.
• Use a thermometer and humidity gauge to make sure the conditions in your root cellar are optimal for storage.
• Handle produce gently when you pick and store it. This will minimize damage and help it to last longer in storage.

• Store cabbage away from other fruits and vegetables since its strong odor can permeate other foods.