Characteristics of Savoy cabbage
To understand how to store the vegetable in question, you must first become familiar with its basic characteristics. This will help you choose the most optimal storage option and create the right conditions for this. The plant is a biennial crop. It is related to the white cabbage variety.
Important! Savoy cabbage is not suitable for sourdough.
The heads of cabbage consist of soft leaves, colored in different shades of green as they move towards the stalk. The leaf plates do not have hard veins, they are corrugated, with pronounced pimples. The weight of one head of cabbage varies between 0.5–3 kg.
According to the ripening period, the variety in question is divided into:
- early - ripens in 105–120 days;
- mid-ripening - ripens in 120–135 days;
- late - reaches maturity in 140 days or more.
Stuffed
- Cooking time: 2.5 hours.
- Number of servings: 8-10 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 2878 kcal.
- Purpose: dinner.
- Cuisine: French.
- Difficulty of preparation: high.
Stuffed Savoy cabbage is an amazing and very interesting-looking dish. Most often, meat is used as a filling, although sometimes it is also made from fish and other vegetables. It is better to stuff savoy cabbage rather than white cabbage, because its leaves are much more tender. The dish is difficult to execute and not everyone can handle it. However, if you manage to do it, you will be simply amazed.
Ingredients:
- Savoy cabbage - 1 fork;
- salt pepper;
- minced pork and beef – 0.5 kg;
- egg – 1 pc.;
- bacon - 4 slices;
- milk – 0.1 l;
- carrot – 1 pc.;
- white bread – 2 pieces;
- onions – 3 pcs.;
- parsley - half a bunch;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- shallots – 2 pcs.
- Place the head of cabbage with the stalk facing up and use a knife to cut the tough part crosswise. Spread the leaves.
- Place the forks, stalk side down, in a large saucepan. Fill with water and let simmer for about an hour. Add some salt. Do not throw away the water after cooking.
- Remove the crust from the bread and pour in milk.
- Chop 2 onions, crush the garlic. Chop the parsley. Chop the bacon. Add all these products to the minced meat, add salt and pepper, add the egg and mix thoroughly.
- Take out the forks and place them stalk side down. When it cools down, pull all the leaves apart.
- Place a little minced meat into each layer, gradually forming a head of cabbage. Wrap it in gauze or a napkin and tie it with kitchen thread.
- Chop the shallots, carrots and the last onion coarsely and throw them into the water in which the fork was boiled. Place the cabbage there and place it on the stove.
- When the water boils, turn the heat to low. Cook for an hour.
- Remove the forks from the broth and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for half an hour.
Which varieties are more suitable for winter storage?
Late-ripening varieties are suitable for long-term storage. Unlike the early ones, after cutting the head of cabbage, vital processes still occur in it.
The most suitable varieties for storage:
- Alaska;
- Cosima;
- Uralochka;
- Stilon;
- Ovasa.
Borsch
- Cooking time: 2.5 hours.
- Number of servings: 8-10 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 2254 kcal.
- Purpose: lunch.
- Cuisine: Ukrainian.
- Difficulty of preparation: medium.
The recipe for red borscht with savoy cabbage is very simple and not much different from the same one with white cabbage. However, thanks to the addition of this vegetable, the first dish becomes more tender and tastier. There are no unusual products in the composition: potatoes, meat, onions and beets. You can add spices to borscht at your discretion; some people do not add anything at all except salt and pepper.
Ingredients:
- beef – 0.6 kg;
- salt pepper;
- beets – 2 pcs.;
- cloves – 3 buds;
- potatoes - 3 medium;
- allspice peas – 7 pcs.;
- Savoy cabbage – 600 g;
- dried celery root – 1 tsp;
- onions – 2 pcs.;
- bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
- tomato paste – 5 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 1 clove.
- Cut the meat and place it in a saucepan. Add whole onions, bay leaves, celery, cloves, and peppercorns. Fill with water and let it cook.
- After a quarter of an hour, put the grated beets into the pan.
- Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes, after a few minutes add to the borscht.
- Chop the fork thinly. Throw the straws into the pan when the potatoes are done.
- Salt, pepper, add crushed garlic and tomato paste. Let the borscht boil, turn it off and remove from the heat.
How to choose and prepare cabbage for winter storage
For storage, you need to select the densest, heaviest heads of cabbage. When purchasing in a store, you need to pay attention to the condition of the topmost leaves - they should be rich green in color and elastic. Dry cover leaves indicate that the head of cabbage was cut from the garden a long time ago - such products will not be stored for a long time. If the crop is grown at home, then the heads of cabbage can be left in the beds until the air temperature drops to -5...-7°C.
This approach helps improve the taste and extend the shelf life of cabbage. If the autumn is rainy and warm, then harvesting is postponed until the end of October - mid-November. Wet forks are very poorly preserved, so 5-6 days before cutting they need to be covered with film so that they have time to dry. If you plan to store the heads of cabbage with roots, then dig up the plants. If the root is not needed, cut it with a sharp, clean knife.
Important! Heads of cabbage lighter than 500 g will dry out quickly, so it is better to send them for quick processing.
Next, all products need to be sorted. For storage, select heads of cabbage weighing at least 500 g, dense, green, without signs of damage by diseases and pests. Products prepared for storage are sprinkled with crushed chalk and laid out in a dry room on shelves or fabric matting. The forks are left in this state for 2-3 days. Then shorten the stalk to 3 cm.
Casserole
- Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes.
- Number of servings: 8-10 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 2678 kcal.
- Purpose: dinner.
- Cuisine: European.
- Difficulty of preparation: high.
If you want to surprise and delight your loved ones, then try preparing the following dish for them. Savoy cabbage casserole is very tasty and filling, it looks unusual and immediately attracts attention. It takes a long time to make and is not as easy as many other dishes, but you are guaranteed to be satisfied with the result. Remember how to prepare this delicious casserole.
Ingredients:
- Savoy cabbage - medium head;
- butter;
- rice - half a glass;
- breadcrumbs;
- egg – 1 pc.;
- salt pepper;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- sour cream – 3 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- grated cheese – 2 tbsp. l.;
- carrots – 1 pc.;
- minced beef – 0.5 kg.
- Take the forks apart and cook the leaves until almost done.
- Chop onions and carrots. Fry until soft.
- Cook the rice until half cooked. Mix it with minced meat, frying, crushed garlic, egg, add salt and pepper.
- Grease the pan with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place a few cabbage leaves on it so that they hang down.
- Add minced meat and leaves alternately. When the filling is finished, close the casserole with the edges of the leaves that were left hanging.
- Spread the casserole with sour cream and sprinkle with cheese.
- Cook in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for an hour and a half.
Where can you store cabbage at home for the winter?
You can store forks in a garage, cellar or basement. At home they can be stored on the balcony. The main thing is that the basic requirements regarding the temperature regime and the layout of the heads of cabbage themselves are met. The vegetable retains its nutritional value best when using wooden containers that have enough space to ensure that the forks are freely positioned to prevent contact between them. You can also lay out the heads of cabbage in separate nets and store them hanging.
Learn how to care for Savoy cabbage outdoors.
What to cook
The vegetable is very tasty, so it is widely used in cooking both raw and boiled, stewed, fried, baked. Regular and Lenten Savoy Cabbage Dishes You Can Make:
- cabbage rolls with chicken hearts and other fillings;
- delicious Korean carrot salad;
- soup, borscht, cabbage soup, other first courses;
- salads (Caesar, bean vinaigrette and others);
- preparations for the winter;
- cabbage fried in a pan with mushrooms and chicken;
- pie;
- a head of cabbage stuffed with minced pork;
- beef rolls;
- lean cabbage rolls;
- stew;
- casseroles.
Basic requirements for premises for storing cabbage
The main criteria that premises must meet:
- lighting - should be completely absent;
- temperature - 0...+3°С;
- air humidity - 90%;
- availability of ventilation.
The shelf life of the cabbage variety in question will largely depend on the quality of preparation of the premises chosen for this purpose. If this function will be a garage, cellar or basement, care must be taken to eliminate rodents. In addition, inspect the walls for the presence of fungus. Even if it has not been identified, it should be treated with an antiseptic.
For this purpose, you can use copper sulfate at a concentration of 7%. Using a roller, it is applied to all walls, ceilings, and flooring. Instead of copper sulfate, you can buy a bactericidal primer for interior work and cover the walls, ceiling, and floor with it. After treatment, the room must be thoroughly ventilated. Such manipulations should be carried out at least 3 weeks before storing the vegetable.
Did you know? The Czechs use Savoy cabbage to make cutlets.
Salad with crab sticks
- Cooking time: half an hour.
- Number of servings: 6 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 1549 kcal.
- Purpose: snack.
- Cuisine: European.
- Difficulty of preparation: easy.
Savoy cabbage salad with crab sticks comes out very fresh and unusual, like all dishes with this vegetable in its raw form. It is very easy to prepare and will definitely be appropriate on the holiday table, because it looks simply delicious. This salad is a real salvation for the hostess when guests unexpectedly appear on her doorstep. Remember how to cook it.
Ingredients:
- Savoy cabbage – 200 g;
- crab sticks – 180 g;
- corn - 1 can;
- boiled eggs – 3 pcs.;
- cucumbers – 2 pcs.;
- mayonnaise – 4-5 tbsp. l.
- Cut cucumbers, eggs, crab sticks into equal cubes. Shred the fork.
- Strain the liquid from the corn. Mix it with cucumber, egg, and chopsticks. Add cabbage.
- Mix the salad with mayonnaise.
We suggest you read: How to understand that bedbugs are infested or appeared at home
Methods for storing cabbage
There are several techniques that will help preserve Savoy cabbage throughout the winter:
- open;
- closed;
- package;
- pyramid.
Open
In the warehouse, wooden shelves are arranged, consisting of slats with a gap of 4 cm between them. The forks are laid out with the stalks up at a distance of 5 cm from each other. The open storage method may also involve storage with the root. In this case, it is thoroughly cleaned of soil. Then they tie it on a thread and hang it from the ceiling.
With this approach, the most important thing is that pieces of earth do not fall between the sheet plates, otherwise the product will quickly deteriorate. You can store cabbage hanging and without roots. To do this, each head of cabbage is placed in a separate net. The method is used if all the required humidity, temperature and lighting indicators are met in the warehouse.
Closed
This technique involves storing cabbage in wooden boxes. First, sand is poured onto the bottom of the container. Then lay a layer of cabbage and again a layer of sand. 3-4 such layers fit in one box. The technique is used in rooms where the humidity threshold is lowered and all other requirements are met.
Check out the beneficial properties of Savoy cabbage.
Packing cabbage
This method is suitable for those who do not have the opportunity to store heads of cabbage in a garage/cellar and their quantity is not so large. It involves putting it in the refrigerator. First, each fork is placed in a transparent plastic bag, in which holes are made for ventilation. If they are not done, condensation will collect on the leaves and they will begin to rot. In the same way, forks are packaged for storage on the loggia.
Pyramid method
This technique is one of the varieties of closed storage technology intended for rooms with a low humidity threshold. The fruits are laid out directly on the floor. A layer of sand is first laid. The largest heads of cabbage are placed on it. Then they are sprinkled with sand and slightly smaller forks are placed. The smallest heads of cabbage should be at the very top.
Stuffed cabbage rolls
- Cooking time: 2-2.5 hours.
- Number of servings: 12 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 3113 kcal.
- Purpose: dinner.
- Cuisine: European.
- Difficulty of preparation: high.
Stuffed cabbage rolls from Savoy cabbage are easier to prepare than from white cabbage, because its leaves are softer, more pliable, and do not have rough veins. They simmer over low heat in tomato sauce, which gives it a characteristic sourness. It is better to put rice in cabbage rolls boiled until half cooked, so that it “arrives” with the dish and does not turn the filling into a sticky porridge. You can use any minced meat you like.
Ingredients:
- Savoy cabbage – 2 forks;
- white pepper, salt;
- carrots – 2 pcs.;
- rice – 2 cups;
- onions – 4 pcs.;
- minced meat – 1.4 kg;
- garlic – 4 cloves;
- bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
- vegetable oil;
- tomato paste – 200 g.
Cooking method:
- Prepare your food. Cut the stalk from the head of cabbage. Dip the forks into salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the softening leaves gradually. Do the same with the second plant.
- Fry two chopped onions and carrots in oil.
- Prepare the minced meat. Add a couple of onions minced through a meat grinder, garlic, undercooked rice, and a quarter of the roast. Salt and pepper.
- Mix the rest of the frying with tomato paste, add a little water, and boil for a minute.
- Form cabbage rolls by placing minced meat in each cabbage leaf and rolling. Place tightly in a saucepan.
- Fill with water, tomato paste and frying. Add bay leaf, salt and pepper. Place on the stove.
- Bring the cabbage rolls to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer them for an hour and a half.
How long does Savoy cabbage last?
Storage duration depending on the technique used:
- open method - up to 12 months;
- closed, including the pyramid - 6-7 months;
- in the refrigerator or on the loggia - 3-4 months.
Did you know? The Chinese were the first to make sauerkraut. They soaked it in wine and introduced it into the diet of slaves who built the Great Wall of China.
Despite the fact that Savoy cabbage has a very delicate leaf structure, it is perfectly preserved throughout the winter. The most important thing is to choose a late-ripening variety for this and properly prepare the storage area.
Useful and harmful properties
The biochemical composition of Savoy cabbage is diverse; it contains
- easily digestible proteins, the amount of which is twice that of white cabbage;
- mustard oils;
Attention! Among the rare vitamins, in the chemical composition of savoy cabbage you can find vitamin U, which is beneficial for the liver, and vitamin K, which is beneficial for the blood.
Savoy cabbage is rich in antioxidant bioactive substances - glutathione, ascorbigen and polyphenols. Glutathione neutralizes radicals, protects against carcinogens, and prevents premature aging of cells. Ascorbigen inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Polyphenols – protect against atherosclerosis, ischemia and neurological diseases.
Adding savoy cabbage to the menu will allow you to:
- get rid of swelling and excess weight;
- normalize blood pressure;
- saturate the body with vitamins;
- strengthen the immune system and bone tissue.
Attention! Savoy cabbage should be excluded from the diet during surgery in the abdominal cavity or chest, as well as exacerbation of thyroid and gastrointestinal diseases associated with high acidity.
It is recommended to include it in the diet of those who suffer from liver disease, hypertension, prostatitis, and obesity. Low calorie content and high nutritional qualities allow Savoy cabbage to be recommended for use in a diet menu for weight loss.
With meat
- Cooking time: 2 hours.
- Number of servings: 12 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 2712 kcal.
- Purpose: lunch, dinner.
- Cuisine: European.
- Difficulty of preparation: medium.
If you prepare a dish such as savoy cabbage with meat, you will provide yourself and your family members with a delicious and satisfying lunch or dinner. Stewed beef with this vegetable turns out very tender, and thanks to the bouquet of spices, also aromatic. This dish is very healthy for the body, so you can even include it in your children’s diet. Remember how to cook it and try it.
Ingredients:
- Savoy cabbage - 1 large fork;
- water - an incomplete glass;
- beef – 1 kg;
- salt – 2 tsp;
- ginger root – 1 pc.;
- bay leaf – 3 pcs.;
- carrots – 1 large;
- mustard beans - half a teaspoon;
- zira – 0.5 tsp.
- Cut the meat into small pieces. Place it in a saucepan along with cumin, bay leaf, and mustard. Cover with water and simmer for about an hour.
- Chop carrots and ginger root. Add to meat.
- Shred the fork. Add to the dish 20 minutes after the carrots.
- Add some salt. Simmer for another 40 minutes.
Tags: pickling, winter, cabbage, Savoy
About the author: admin4ik
« Previous entry
Adviсe
There are some great tips:
- The size of the cabbage “straws” depends solely on what we will do with it – stew it, add it to borscht;
To preserve the color and taste of cabbage, as well as to extend its shelf life, it must be blanched.
- After blanching, the cabbage must be dried;
- For freezing, it is preferable to use bags with a sealed fastener, as they prevent excessive evaporation of moisture;
- To retain as much moisture as possible, lay the cabbage “straws” very tightly;
- Re-freezing cabbage is not recommended;
- At a temperature in the freezer of -18 degrees Celsius, you can preserve cabbage supplies for almost a year; from 0 to -8 degrees maximum period three months
- It is not recommended to defrost cabbage, since instead of a high-quality product, you end up with something not very attractive - limp and soft. It is better to immediately send cabbage from the freezer to a saucepan, frying pan, or multicooker.
If the vegetable is chopped
To enjoy a healthy and tasty product in winter, the vegetable needs proper preparation before freezing. To do this you need to follow these steps:
- select heads of cabbage that have a dense structure and are correctly formed;
- check the product for the presence of fungus or pests that could be hiding between the leaves;
- remove the top layer of leaves;
- rinse the cabbage in clean water;
- dry it thoroughly.
If desired, the vegetable can be heat treated before freezing.
Is it possible to freeze shredded cabbage? Shredded white cabbage is frozen less often than any other type, but in vain.
If you prepare bags of portioned frozen cabbage in advance, then preparing soup or a main course in winter will become a very quick task.
Not only will the vegetable already be chopped, but it will not require defrosting before cooking, and you can safely add it to a saucepan or stewpan straight from the freezer.
How to freeze shredded cabbage? Before freezing cabbage, remove the tough green outer leaves and leave only the white ones. Then it is finely chopped and placed in portions either immediately into bags, or first onto a cutting board and sent to the freezer to freeze.
It is better not to make portions very large; the optimal size is the size of a fist. You can read more about this process in the article “Freezing white cabbage for the winter.”