Winter cabbage is the type to store, and it does not go in a sand box like roots. Lift firm heads before the first frost, leave the roots on or at least 15cm of stem, and stand the heads upright on slatted shelves somewhere cold, dark and dry at 0 to 4°C, covered with straw or thick layers of newspaper if temperatures drop. Done right, that stores them for several months.
Which cabbages to store
Only winter cabbage is a good storer. Firm red and white winter cabbage will store for several months if harvested before the first frost (Garden Organic). Some winter cabbages, including hardy Savoys such as Tundra, can be stored for several months in a cool, dry, frost-free place, and winter cabbage is one of the hardiest types (RHS). Spring, summer and autumn cabbage are not described as storing, and summer cabbage is harvested in mid to late summer, so eat it fresh. The cabbage growing guide covers all the types, and best cabbage varieties for Scotland covers which to choose.
When to lift
Harvest before the first frost, not after it. Frost reaching the head ends the storage window, so watch the forecast in your own area rather than working from a calendar date: the frost dates page has typical first-frost timing for your region. As a planning guide, not a guarantee, heads lifted in October or November are likely to last into January or February in a good store, and a mild, damp store shortens that.
The method
- Harvest before the first frost. Produce for storage needs to be in perfect condition, with no blemishes or breaks, because once it is no longer growing it has no means to heal. Strip loose or damaged outer leaves and use any head with a split or soft patch now. Do not wash the heads, since the store needs to be dry.
- Leave the roots intact, or at least 15cm of stem. This is the opposite of trimming a head close for the kitchen, and the opposite of root vegetables, which go in boxes of sand: a cabbage needs air around the head, not packing. The cut end is where rot is likely to start.
- Stand the heads upright on slatted shelves. Air can then move around each head. Keep them off the floor.
- Cover with straw or thick layers of newspaper if temperatures drop.
- Hold at 0 to 4°C, somewhere cool, dry and frost-free (Garden Organic).
Where to keep them
An unheated shed or garage follows the outside air, so a cold snap can take it below freezing, and a mild, damp spell can lift it above 4°C and leave the air damp. A min/max thermometer left on the shelf for a week shows which side your space is on. An unheated porch, a cool spare room, or a cold frame covered on frosty nights can all work: the target matters, not the building.
Mice may find the heads. Keep heads off the floor, use a lidded wooden crate if mice are about, and avoid a sealed plastic box, which traps condensation.
Checking stored heads
Stored produce cannot heal, so look at the heads regularly and use any that start to soften or spoil first. Look for softening or discolouration where the head meets the stem, rot spreading from the cut stem, condensation or a damp smell in the store, and damage to the outer leaves. Stripping affected outer leaves often saves the head underneath rather than binning all of it.
Leave it standing instead?
Cabbage is one of the robust vegetables that can stand through British winters (RHS), and leeks and Brussels sprouts can normally be left in the ground too (Garden Organic). Leave them standing if the ground does not waterlog or freeze solid. Store heads when you need the bed back, or want them under cover before a frost.
Common questions
Can I store a Savoy like Tundra the same way as red and white winter cabbage?
Probably. Some winter cabbages can be stored for several months in a cool, dry, frost-free place, and Tundra is a hardy winter Savoy (RHS). The detailed method is Garden Organic's for red and white types, so check Savoys more often.
What can I do with a summer or autumn glut?
Use them up rather than store them: neither RHS nor Garden Organic describes storing them long-term. Shredded cabbage can go raw into salads and coleslaw or be pickled as sauerkraut (Gardeners' World).
What if the head has already been frosted?
The advice is to harvest before the first frost (Garden Organic), so a frosted head falls outside the storage method. Use it soon rather than storing it.
Sources
Show the 4 sources
- Garden Organic: Harvesting and storing vegetables: Firm red and white winter cabbage storing for several months if harvested before the first frost, roots intact or at least 15cm of stem, slatted shelves covered with straw or thick layers of newspaper if temperatures drop, an ideal temperature of 0 to 4°C, produce in perfect condition with no blemishes, and leeks and Brussels sprouts left in the ground
- RHS: Cabbages, grow your own: Some winter cabbages storing for several months in a cool, dry, frost-free place, winter cabbage being one of the hardiest, and Tundra
- RHS: Root vegetables, storing: Cabbage as one of the robust vegetables that stand through British winters
- Gardeners' World: How to grow cabbages: Summer cabbage sown from late winter to mid-spring and harvested in mid to late summer, and shredding for salads or sauerkraut