Experienced housewives never give up stock for the winter. And among the many vegetables and fruits, special attention should be paid to such a familiar and useful white cabbage.
For the first time it was appreciated by the Romans, who claimed that this product replenishes the forces and gives additional energy. But in Russia cabbage entered the diet only from the 11th century and immediately won trust among the population, because it allowed to create new, tasty and, most importantly, cheap dishes, which the whole family relished in winter cold and snowstorms.
Of course, eating salad from fresh or sauerkraut during the riot of all sorts of ORVI there is much more useful and cheaper than buying an expensive lemon, which will still be immature and, therefore, very sour. Therefore it is very important to stock up on winter with quality vegetables.
Choosing cabbage cabbage for harvesting for the winter
There are many ways to store white cabbage for the winter: it can be salted, sour, pickled, and made a variety of salads. But, no matter what type of canning you prefer, they all require the right choice of cabbage cabbage for harvesting. Here are the basic rules that must be adhered to in this case:
- You need to choose cabbage only with fresh, unassembled leaves.
- It is important to inspect it from all sides for brown and black areas( even very-very small ones).They are the first to say about the spoilage of the product by putrefactive bacteria and fungi.
- You should also pay attention to whether the sheets are "beaten" by insects. Usually they settle in cabbage at the earliest stages of the germination and may over the entire maturation period not only put off the larvae, but also partially eat cabbage( this will look like a long tunnel running from the center outwards).
- It is advisable to take not too big, but heavy head. This fact confirms his maturity. Also it is necessary to squeeze the head out with both hands. If it is tight, the cabbage has collected all the necessary juices and vitamins. When there is a feeling of airiness and volume, it means that the vegetable was cut before the due date.
- Often, early young cabbage is used for food. True, it is not particularly useful, quite expensive and quickly goes away. For inexperienced housewives it is important to know that such cabbage can not be stored for long and used for harvesting for the winter. It is suitable only for "instant" use.
- At the end of summer and beginning of autumn, medium and medium late varieties of white cabbage appear on the market. Based on the name, they represent a "golden mean" between late and young cabbage. Therefore, it can be taken not for too long storage and with the purpose of creating both a sauerkraut and fresh salad.
- The most suitable for both long-term storage and for all types of canning are late varieties. They are characterized not only resistance to cold, but also excellent taste qualities, because of which its specimens are suitable for both processing and fresh consumption.
- In addition, we must pay attention to the width of the stump. The wider it is, the shorter. But all the same, this factor depends entirely on the cabbage variety.