How to freeze red cabbage?
Red cabbage can be frozen in different ways. You can freeze it raw or cooked, in strips, wedges or whole sheets. It is the use you want to make of it after defrosting that will determine your choice.
We recommend, in most cases, that you cut it into wedges. This method gives you more flexibility in cooking your red cabbage.
How to freeze raw red cabbage?
- Remove the outer leaves, then wash your red cabbage thoroughly. If you bought it at the market or grew it yourself, you can soak it in salt water for 30 minutes. Thus, any insects will be eliminated.
- Cut the red cabbage into quarters, strips or tear off the leaves.
- Fill a large saucepan with water and boil the water. While the water is heating, fill a bowl with cold water and place it next to the pan. The bowl should be close to the stove, as the red cabbage will need to be cooled as soon as you take it out of the pan.
- This step consists of blanching the red cabbage so that it retains its crunchiness despite freezing. Once the water is boiling, immerse the red cabbage in it for 1 minute 30 minutes for the strips and leaves or 3 minutes for the quarters. Remove the red cabbage from boiling water and immediately plunge it into cold water. This operation interrupts the cooking and prevents the red cabbage from cooking too long. Leave the red cabbage in cold water for several minutes, until it has cooled.
- Drain the red cabbage and let it dry. The drier the cabbage, the better it will freeze.
- Spread the red cabbage pieces or leaves on a baking sheet and put the sheet in the freezer. Make sure that the red cabbage pieces or leaves do not overlap.
- Once the red cabbage pieces or leaves are frozen, take them out of the freezer and transfer them to a freezer bag.
- Squeeze as much air as possible out of the freezer bag and then seal it tightly. Label the bag with the date and contents, then return it to the freezer.
How to freeze cooked red cabbage?
- Cook your red cabbage following your favorite recipe and let it cool.
- Divide the red cabbage into portions and put each portion in an individual freezer bag.
- Squeeze as much air as possible out of the freezer bags and seal them tightly. Label the bags with the date and contents, then put them in the freezer.
What is the shelf life of red cabbage in the freezer?
Red cabbage, whether raw or cooked, will keep for about 3 months in the freezer.
How to thaw red cabbage?
Thawing your red cabbage depends on what you plan to use it for and how you freeze it. In many cases, you don’t need to thaw it at all. You can cook it directly or reheat it without defrosting it first.
If you froze your red cabbage in large chunks, you may need to thaw it first. To do this, put it in the refrigerator to slowly thaw for several hours.
Can you refreeze red cabbage?
You should not refreeze red cabbage. Refreezing is not recommended for most foods, as it affects their quality, and this goes for red cabbage. Refreezing may result in mushy cabbage that is not edible.
