Have you ever thought about how to store cauliflower Is it right for it to delight you with its freshness all winter? Many people think that this is impossible, because it is stored in the refrigerator only for a period of best case scenario month. However, I know for sure that it is quite possible to prepare fresh cauliflower for the winter, and in good conditions it will remain there until summer.

Cauliflower entered our diet quite recently and very quickly took its place of honor not only in everyday life, but also in everyday life. festive table. In addition to a lot of vitamins, it contains iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium... Unlike white cabbage, it can be consumed by people with diseases gastrointestinal tract, and this product should generally be constantly present in the diet of patients with atherosclerosis and diabetes.

Cauliflower should be harvested in late October or early November, until it is overripe and the diameter of its head does not exceed 12 cm. It is best to harvest vegetables in dry and clear weather, but immediately after harvesting it is necessary to protect them from sunlight: Let's say, covering it with freshly cut leaves.

The harvesting method depends on where you plan to store the vegetables. The following harvesting methods are distinguished:

• Cutting the inflorescences if you plan to store them in the refrigerator.
• Twisting out the heads if the cabbage will be stored in the cellar.
• Digging up vegetables along with a lump of earth if you want to use the growing method.

Cellar storage

I’ll start my story about how to store cauliflower from the cellar. The room temperature must be maintained between 0 and 4 ºС. Also desirable good system ventilation and humidity at 90-95%.

Before storing the crop for the winter, it must be sorted, removing spoiled and loose heads. The further strategy depends on how long you plan to store the vegetables. There are 5 main ways to store cauliflower in the cellar.

1. Upside down. Remove excess leaves from the vegetables and hang each head by the stalk from the ceiling beams. This method saves space in the cellar, but you won’t be able to store the crop this way all winter: it will hang for a maximum of a month.
2. On shelves or in boxes. Cut off the top leaves and roots from the cabbage, place it on shelves or in drawers so that the heads do not touch each other. It is very important to limit the access of light to vegetables. To do this, each copy can be wrapped in newspaper or wrapped in plastic. If there is a lot of harvest, simply cover it with cardboard or dark film. At least once a week you need to check whether the cabbage has begun to deteriorate, and it is advisable to change the polyethylene if too much condensation has formed on it. The shelf life in this way is 2-3 months.
3. In clay. Coat each head with a clay solution, let the harvest dry and place the resulting blanks in the cellar or basement. A clay “coat” will allow you to keep vegetables in their original condition for 3-5 months in winter.
4. In the sand. Cut the leaves off the cabbage (no need to remove the roots) and bury it in clean, damp sand. Periodically it needs to be moistened, and vegetables need to be checked, throwing out rotten specimens. The shelf life of the crop in sand is up to 6 months.
5. Growing up. If the cauliflower heads are still too small at the time of harvesting, you can grow them in the cellar in winter. In order to do this correctly, a couple of days before harvesting, start watering the crop generously, then dig up the vegetables along with big clods soil and transplant them into a previously prepared bed in the basement. Plants need to be planted very tightly, and they should be covered with soil right up to the leaves. The top of the bed must be covered with dark film, cardboard or a sheet of plywood. If you properly organize such storage of cauliflower, you can harvest from improvised beds not only in winter, but also in spring, until summer.

Storage in the apartment

You can preserve cauliflower in winter at home: on the balcony, in the refrigerator or freezer. If there are a lot of vegetables, it is best to use a cabinet on a glassed-in loggia to store them. You can first insulate it by upholstering it with foam plastic or other insulating material. Vegetables must be cleaned of yellowed leaves and roots, each head wrapped in newspaper or polyethylene and placed on shelves in the closet. Periodically you need to change the packaging and make sure that black spots do not appear on the fruits.

If you don’t have a balcony, cauliflower can be stored in the refrigerator - albeit for a very short time. Wrap the peeled heads in cling film or plastic bags and place in the vegetable compartment. Every 3-5 days, the packaging must be removed, since moisture will condense on it, and the vegetables must be dried and wrapped in a new wrapper. But no matter how much you change the packaging, you still won’t be able to preserve the crop in this way for longer than 3-4 weeks.

Long-term storage of this vegetable at home is only possible in the freezer. Of course, some of the vitamins are lost, but the frozen product is excellent for culinary purposes. To properly freeze cabbage, it must be cut into inflorescences, washed thoroughly and boiled in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. You can dissolve a teaspoon in boiling water citric acid. After this, the inflorescences are dried, packaged in sealed bags or containers and placed in the freezer. You can freeze vegetables without first boiling them, but then the cabbage will change its color and taste. When frozen, these vegetables can be stored as long as needed, even until the next harvest.

And finally, another common way to store cauliflower is pickling. For 10 kg of vegetables you will need 5.5 liters of water, 400 g of salt and about 400 ml of 6% vinegar. First you need to boil water, dissolve salt in it and add vinegar. The inflorescences are separated from each other, washed, blanched in salted water for a couple of minutes, placed in sterilized jars and filled with cooled brine. You can also add black pepper and bay leaf. The blanks are covered with lids and kept for 2 weeks at room temperature, and then sent for storage in a dark and cool place.

Your brownie.

How to Preserve Cauliflower to Enjoy fresh vegetable all winter? Many people believe that it is impossible to store vegetables for a long time, because the maximum shelf life in the refrigerator is a month. However, it is possible to keep cabbage fresh throughout the winter, and in the right conditions it can be stored until summer.

Preparing for winter storage

The ones that last the longest are those made from self-grown vegetables. After all, cabbage can be prepared in advance, taking into account the following points:

• Wet heads of cabbage are unsuitable for storage, so harvesting should be done on a warm day without precipitation.
• An overripe vegetable automatically loses most useful substances, therefore, it is worth harvesting cauliflower in advance, ensuring its ripening with your own hands.
• The inflorescences must be collected together with the leaves covering them. It is necessary to protect the fruits from exposure to direct sunlight. After all, ultraviolet radiation provokes yellowing of the crop. This type of cabbage should not be consumed. Sometimes the head of cabbage is dug up along with the roots.
• If long-term storage is planned initially, then you should not apply nitrogen fertilizers during cultivation. In such conditions, cabbage will quickly deteriorate even with ideal storage.
• A fresh head of cabbage is slightly dried on fresh air under thin fabric. After this, you can start bookmarking.

Properly organized preparatory stage ensures the safety of most vitamins and microelements in the fetus.

Video “Freezing”

From the video you will learn how to freeze cabbage for the winter.

How to properly store in a cellar or basement

As for storing cauliflower in the cellar, first of all, it is necessary to maintain a temperature in it from 0 to 4°. Excellent room ventilation and humidity of at least 90% are also required.

Before storing cabbage for the winter, it needs to be sorted. Thus, spoiled and loose vegetables cannot be stored. The storage method depends on its duration. So, there are several ways to store cabbage in the cellar:

• Upside down. It is necessary to remove excess leaves from the head of cabbage and hang each individual by the leg on the ceiling. In this form, cabbage will significantly save space in the room. However, you can store the vegetable hanging for no more than a month.
  
• In a box or on a rack. Cut from a vegetable top sheets and roots. In this form, the cabbage is placed in boxes or on a shelf so that the heads are not in direct contact with each other. It is necessary to minimize exposure to sunlight on the vegetable. To do this, each head of cabbage is wrapped in newspaper or cellophane. If there is a lot of harvest, it is worth covering it with an opaque film. It is worth monitoring the status of your bookmarks weekly. When it forms on polyethylene large number condensation, it needs to be replaced. Thus, the heads of cabbage can be stored for up to 3 months.
• In clay. Each cabbage is coated with a clay solution, after which it is dried and placed in this form in the cellar or basement. Clay protection lasts up to 5 months.
• In the sand. The leaves (but not the roots!) are cut off from each fruit and buried in wet sand. Periodically, the “substrate” should be moistened, and the vegetables should be inspected and those that have begun to rot should be removed. The duration of sand storage is six months.
  
• Growing up. If the vegetable heads are still small at harvest time, they can be grown indoors. To do this, a few days before harvesting, you need to actively moisten the plantings, and then dig up the vegetables along with the earthen clod. In this form, individuals are transplanted into prepared cellar beds. Individuals should be planted close to each other, covered with soil on top. The bed is covered with opaque film, cardboard or plywood sheet. In conditions proper organization storage, harvesting can be done almost all year round.

Storing in the refrigerator or freezer

In apartment conditions, long-term storage of vegetable crops is also permissible: on the balcony, in the refrigerator or freezer. If the harvest is rich, you can organize a special cabinet on the loggia to store it. Such a container should be insulated with foam plastic or other insulator. Vegetables are completely cleaned yellow leaves and roots. Each head of cabbage is wrapped in newspaper or polyethylene and laid out on the shelves of the cabinet. The packaging should be changed from time to time to prevent black spots from appearing on vegetables.

If the apartment does not have a balcony, the colored vegetable can be stored in the refrigerator. However, the period of such storage is short. The peeled heads of cabbage are wrapped in cling film or plastic bags and placed in the vegetable compartment.

Every 5 days, the cabbage packaging must be disposed of, as moisture condenses on it. The fruits themselves must be dried and wrapped in another wrapper. Regardless of how often the packaging is changed, the maximum duration of such storage is no more than a month.

Storing cauliflower for a long time is only possible in the freezer. In this case, the vegetable loses some of its vitamins, but this product is widely used in cooking. In order to freeze fruits correctly, it is necessary to separate their inflorescences, rinse thoroughly and boil. It is permissible to add a little citric acid to boiling water. After boiling, the inflorescences need to be dried, placed in special containers and placed in the freezer. You can place the vegetable in the freezer without first boiling it, but when stored this way, the cabbage changes its taste and color. Frozen cauliflower can be stored for as long as needed.

Quite often cabbage is stored by salting it. Such preparations covered with lids, are kept indoors for half a month, and then transferred to a cool place where sunlight does not reach.

Video “How to store”

From the video you will learn how to store cauliflower.

Cauliflower is a product rich in nutrients. And her taste is so individual that it cannot be compared with anything else. The vegetable is used to prepare various dishes. It is even included in the child’s menu at the very beginning of complementary feeding. This means that the root vegetable is perfectly absorbed by the body and rarely causes allergies. It can retain its special properties not only during the season, but also during storage. Its terms can be up to one year. You just need to know how to store cauliflower at home and follow certain rules when preparing the product.

The root crop feels great at a temperature of 0 degrees and a humidity of no more than 95%. If the temperature drops, the inflorescences will freeze slightly. And when the temperature rises, germination occurs. The room, whether it is a cellar or a basement, must be ventilated, dark and cool. There should be no dampness in it. Can only be stored for long periods of time late varieties cabbage

In this case, the freshest specimens are selected, not overripe, without defects. Ideally, if the cultivation was carried out independently, this way you can control the timing of the harvest. But be that as it may, before storing you need to dry the vegetables a little and only then proceed to further actions, which will depend on where the cauliflower is stored.

Storage methods

You can store cauliflower using several methods, each of which has its own characteristics and rules. Study them and decide how you will store your cauliflower.

In the refrigerator

You can keep cauliflower fresh by using the refrigerator. How this happens: the vegetable is divided into inflorescences, after removing the leaves. Then they are wrapped in paper or cling film and placed in the refrigerator on a shelf for storing vegetables. If it is implied long time storage, the wrapper should be changed periodically.

Sometimes inflorescences can rot; it is worth keeping an eye on this and removing damaged elements. If you store cauliflower in the refrigerator, remember not to let it sharp changes temperatures Otherwise the vegetable will acquire gray and will no longer be suitable for food.

You can extend the “life” of a vegetable if you pickle it. To do this, you need to place individual inflorescences in a jar and fill them with brine. It consists of water and salt (calculation: 1 liter of water per 1 tbsp. table salt with top). When preparing any dish, the brine is simply washed off with water.

In the freezer

When the question arises of how to preserve cauliflower for the winter, the freezer is the safest place. Before freezing the product, you should disassemble it into inflorescences. You can blanch them or boil them in salted water, but no more than 5 minutes. After heat treatment, the vegetable must be thoroughly dried. Place it in containers or bags. It is advisable to sign the date of preparation on them.

You should periodically shake the container with the frozen product so that individual inflorescences do not stick together into one lump. It cannot be re-frozen. Therefore, it is recommended to send it to the chamber in portions. You can freeze cauliflower fresh. But this method has its drawbacks. Product damage may occur.

In the cellar

Another way to keep cauliflower fresh for a long time is to use a basement or cellar. Great option here is the hanging of heads of cabbage. The inflorescences remain unharmed, which automatically increases the shelf life.

If you place the heads of cabbage in wooden boxes, then the forks should not touch each other. This can trigger the process of rotting. The top of the container is covered with polyethylene. You must constantly ensure that condensation does not accumulate. If there are no boxes, you can lay out the cabbage on wooden shelves. With this storage method, you will need to constantly turn the specimens over and pick off damaged leaves.

Clay wrapping perfectly preserves cabbage. You just need to coat each head with a solution whose consistency is similar to sour cream. After this, they are usually dried and hung from the ceiling of the cellar.

Cabbage is also preserved well in a layer of sand. To do this, make a hill out of it, and deepen the fruit along with the roots.

On the balcony

A good option is to store cauliflower on the balcony. The main thing is to ensure that the temperature does not drop below zero. The remaining conditions coincide with those necessary for storage in the cellar.

Shelf life

The quality of the product and its taste will depend on storage conditions. If the root crop is in the cellar, folded in boxes, then its shelf life is up to 6 months. It will last the same amount of time in clay or sand.

The vegetable will last only a week in the refrigerator without wrapping it in film. Cauliflower wrapped in film also doesn’t last long – a month at most. And in the freezer - a year. On the balcony, the vegetable usually retains its presentability and high taste for a month, and this is provided that the temperature is maintained.

Now you know how to store cauliflower at home. Follow these rules and let this wonderful product always be on your table! Be sure to tell us about your successes and share your secrets of how you store cauliflower.

Cauliflower – annual vegetable crop, which is in second place in popularity after cabbage. Special chemical composition and the presence of valuable amino acids and vitamins make it a welcome guest on the table, and it is good both fried and stewed, and pickled. Find out how to store cauliflower for the winter in this article.

How should cauliflower be stored in an apartment?

Of course, the vegetable cannot be stored at room temperature, as it will spoil very quickly. The most acceptable storage method for those who do not have their own garden and buy food at the market and in stores is to use a plastic bag. First, clean the head from leaves and roots and place it in a bag, tying it. Place in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator intended for vegetables. If you don't have the package, it will help cling film, but as practice shows, this allows you to keep cabbage “life” for only one week.

If you don’t plan to cook the vegetable in the near future, it is better to freeze it. In addition, this method is suitable for those who buy cabbage for future use. Those who are interested in how to store cauliflower in the freezer should first disassemble the heads into inflorescences. If the vegetable is clean enough, then it can be placed unchanged in a plastic bag and folded into. Otherwise, you can soak it for 15 minutes in salted water, and then drain it and then put it away for storage. Some people prefer to freeze slightly cooked cabbage, which will further reduce its cooking time. After simmering the inflorescences for 3 minutes in salted water, drain it, cool the contents of the pan and put it in the freezer, after placing it in bags.

How to properly store cauliflower in the cellar?

You can store cabbage by digging up the heads along with the roots and lumps of soil and placing them in wooden or polymer boxes very close to each other, covering them with soil right up to the leaves. Cover the top with dark polyethylene film or wooden shield. This method is suitable not only for storing, but also for growing cabbage if it was immature at the time of transplantation. The air temperature in the cellar should range from +4 to +10 ᵒC. Those who ask how to store fresh cauliflower in the cellar, but already quite mature, can answer that for this it needs to be cleaned of roots and leaves, put in a suitable container and covered plastic film. But the storage temperature should be kept around 0 ᵒC.

Under these conditions, the vegetable can be stored for up to 7 weeks. At the same temperature parameters, cabbage can be hung up by the stalks and stored for about 3 weeks.

How to store cauliflower fresh? Is it possible to do this for a long time? Yes, there are such ways. Today I’ll tell you how to store cauliflower fresh until spring, and also frozen.

Cauliflower - it is the second most popular species grown in Russia. Of course, first place goes to white cabbage. What does its name come from? Because it has a different color depending on the variety? Maybe. But it’s more likely that it comes from the word “bloom.” After all, she is really beautiful and looks like a flower. And what delicious dishes can be cooked from it.

But storing cauliflower sometimes causes difficulties. More precisely, difficulties are caused by ignorance of some possibilities and methods. An important point is the time of its cleaning.

When to harvest cauliflower? Or “Overripe? - Unfit!

When harvesting cauliflower, you need to remember a few rules.

• Firstly, they begin to harvest the heads of the crop during the growth period. When they reach a diameter of 8-12 cm, the weight will be about 300-1200g. If a vegetable overgrows, it will lose a significant part of its beneficial and taste qualities. A yellowed and crumbly plant is clearly overripe.
• Secondly, when you harvest cauliflower, cut it carefully with a knife, leaving 2-4 leaves. If it has formed shoots, you can try to grow new inflorescences. To do this, you need to leave one or two strong shoots and remove the rest. You should care for the vegetable in the same way as with regular planting.
• Thirdly, cut heads should never be left under straight lines. sun rays. Otherwise, they will immediately begin to turn yellow and eventually become simply unfit for consumption. And you don’t really want to lose the harvest, do you?

One more thing about harvesting cauliflower

Early varieties ripen within 60-100 calendar days, and you can harvest the first harvest in June. Usually this procedure occurs selectively in 2-3 approaches. When the heads have already formed, but have not grown to the right size, it is recommended to shade them with broken leaves of the same cabbage. The ripening time of medium varieties is 100-135 calendar days, and late varieties will grow for at least 5 months. In general, you can harvest fresh crops until late autumn.

“Cold” harvest or the longest fresh storage of cauliflower

How to store cauliflower if there is practically nothing to store? I mean the situation when the cold came before the cauliflower ripened. She is still so small that one tooth is enough. What to do in this case? Is everything really lost? No. There is a great way called rearing. In practice, this means transplanting cabbage into a cellar or greenhouse. And this is what it consists of.

Heads with a diameter of 3-5 cm are dug up along with roots and lumps of earth (it is advisable to water them abundantly in two days) and transplanted into the prepared room very closely to each other (30-40 plants per 1 m2). They are covered with earth 15 centimeters, right up to the leaves. By the way, they will serve as a source of necessary nutrients. The main rule for storing cauliflower this way is no light. Otherwise everything will go down the drain. Therefore, the heads need to be covered, for example, with dark plastic film or a wooden shield.

Conditions for fruitful cultivation and rearing: air temperature +4-10°C, relative humidity air at least 95%. As a result, the harvest can be obtained in 1-4 months (the variety also affects the time). By the way, this method is suitable not only for cabbage that has not had time to ripen, but also for the usual desire to provide oneself with this vegetable for almost the entire year. This is both growing and storing cauliflower.

Let's save the life of the “flower” or how else can you store cauliflower?

There are other ways to store this cabbage:

Now you know how to store cauliflower. Yes, this is not white cabbage, it is more difficult to store, but, nevertheless, it is also available different ways extend her life.