How to Preserve Cabbage to Keep Your Harvest Fresh All Year

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Learn how to preserve cabbage using four effective methods – freezing, dehydrating, canning, and fermentation. Complete step-by-step guide to keep your cabbage fresh for months with expert tips and storage solutions.

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Cabbage

These preservation techniques allow you to enjoy fresh, homegrown cabbage flavor throughout the entire year. Whether you have a bumper crop from your garden or found a great deal at the farmer’s market, you’ll never waste another head of cabbage again.

With four distinct preservation methods – freezing, dehydrating, canning, and fermentation – you can choose the technique that best fits your cooking style and storage capabilities. Each method produces different textures and flavors, giving you versatile ingredients for various recipes.

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Cabbage
When To Harvest Cabbage
How To Store Cabbage
Dehydrating Cabbage
Canning Cabbage
Freezing Cabbage
Expert Tips
More Tips For Preserving The Harvest

When To Harvest Cabbage

When the heads are fairly firm. Heads will split if over mature!

How To Store Cabbage

In the refrigerator

Dehydrating Cabbage

CUT: Remove outer leaves, quarter, and core. Cut into shreds about 1/4-inch thick.
DIPPING: Steam blanch for 2-3 minutes
DEHYDRATOR: 10-12 hours
APPEARANCE WHEN DRY: Crisp

Canning Cabbage

QUANTITY: 25 pounds

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

25 pounds cabbage
¾ cup canning salt
Water
Fermentation Vessel

TYPES OF CONTAINERS TO USE FOR FERMENTING CABBAGE

Fermentation vessels should be made out of stone, glass or food-grade plastic. Estimate that a 1 gallon container will be appropriate for up to 5 pounds of cabbage. Crocks should not be cracked or lined with metal.

Containers made of aluminum, copper, brass, iron, galvanized metal, or trash cans are not appropriate. Prior to fermentation, containers should be washed with warm water and soap.

Clean containers made of non-food-grade materials can be used if a food-grade plastic liner is used.

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

Working with 5 pounds of cabbage at a time, discard outer leaves and rinse in cold, clean water to remove soil or debris.

Cut the head of cabbage into pieces and remove the center core.

Shred into long thin strips, about the thickness of a quarter.

Combine 5 pounds of cabbage and 3 tablespoons of canning salt and mix well. Repeat this process until you have combined 25 pounds of cabbage and 3/4 cup of canning salt.

Transfer this mixture to an appropriate container. There should be 4 to 5 inches of headspace left at the top of the container.

The cabbage should be completely covered with liquid, so if there is not enough juice from the shredded cabbage to cover the cabbage, make a salt brine with 1 quart of water and 1½ tablespoons of canning salt. Pickling or canning salt is preferable since it does not contain iodine and anti-caking agents. The brine should be boiled and cooled to room temperature before adding to your cabbage mixture.

Weigh down the cabbage to keep it submerged in the liquid. A heavy plate or lid that fits down into the container can be used. Or use a double layer of food-grade plastic bags (like the resealable gallon-size freezer bags) and fill the top bag with brine for weight.

The cabbage should be covered by 1 to 2 inches of brine. Keeping the cabbage protected from oxygen will help limit mold growth during fermentation.

A smiling woman stands in a garden holding a giant cabbage, ready to share tips on how to preserve cabbage. She is surrounded by sunflowers, corn, and green plants under a clear blue sky.

FERMENTATION

During the fermentation process, store the sauerkraut at 70-75° Fahrenheit. At this temperature, your sauerkraut should be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks. At 60-65° Fahrenheit, the fermentation process may take 5 to 6 weeks.

If the temperature is above 75° Fahrenheit, the sauerkraut may become soft and lack flavor.

If the temperature is below 60° Fahrenheit, the fermentation may be sluggish and the proper acidity may not be achieved.

During fermentation, lactic acid bacteria are able to grow in the high salt environment and produce acid and flavors associated with fermented vegetables. Lactic acid bacteria are found naturally on the surface of vegetables, so you do not need to add in cultures as you might with other fermented food.

The salt you add and the acid produced by the bacteria will help control pathogenic bacterial contamination.

Consequently, salt levels cannot be reduced in fermented vegetable preparations and salt substitutes cannot be used.

The acid produced during the fermentation is what preserves the product. Lactic acid bacteria produce a variety of flavorful byproducts during fermentation. The most important of these is lactic acid, which contributes to the tartness and preservation of the finished kraut.

However, other acids and flavors are also made by the bacteria as they grow. The temperature at which the sauerkraut is stored impacts the development of these flavors and the lactic acid. At lower temperatures, growth occurs more slowly. Therefore, the fermentation process often takes longer when stored under cooler conditions.

When using a heavy plate, lid or jars to weigh down the cabbage, you need to check the sauerkraut 2 to 3 times a week and remove the scum if it forms. A thin film of yeast or mold (scum) may form on the surface of the fermentation brine.

When using a brine-filled bag as the weight, do not disturb the container until normal fermentation is completed (when the bubbling stops).

Preservation Methods for Canning Cabbage

Chopped cabbage should be weighed in order to add the appropriate amount of salt for the fermentation. Once the fermentation is complete, the sauerkraut can be canned, refrigerated or frozen.

PRESERVING SAUERKRAUT

HOT PACK

Bring the sauerkraut and the liquid to a boil, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat, fill jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and process.

Process Time: Pints: 10-20 minutes; Quarts: 15-25 minutes

RAW PACK

Fill jars with sauerkraut and cover with juices, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.
Process in a boiling water bath.

Process Time: Pints: 20-35 minutes; Quarts: 25-40 minutes

A chart showing how to preserve cabbage by canning, with times for hot and raw packs in pints and quarts at four altitude ranges. Times increase with altitude and jar size. — Processing times for canning cabbage.

Freezing Cabbage

Frozen cabbage is suitable for use only as a cooked vegetable.

Select freshly picked, solid heads.
Trim coarse outer leaves from head. Cut into medium to coarse shreds or thin wedges, or separate head into leaves.
Water blanch 1½ minutes.
Cool promptly, drain and package, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Seal and freeze.

🍎🫙 Get a free Preserving Guide for all the details to dehydrate, can, and freeze 42 fruits and vegetables — get the FREE GUIDE here!

Expert Tips

Choose Cabbage at Peak Freshness: Select firm, solid heads with tight outer leaves and no signs of splitting or soft spots. Harvest homegrown cabbage when heads feel firm to the touch, as overmature heads will split and won’t preserve as well. The fresher your starting material, the better your preserved results will be.
Salt-to-Cabbage Ratio for Fermentation: Use exactly 3 tablespoons of canning salt per 5 pounds of cabbage when making sauerkraut. Pickling or canning salt is preferable since it doesn’t contain iodine or anti-caking agents that can interfere with fermentation. Weigh your cabbage accurately – this ratio is critical for successful fermentation and food safety.
Maintain Proper Temperature: Store fermenting sauerkraut at 70-75°F for optimal results. At this temperature range, fermentation completes in 3-4 weeks. Temperatures above 75°F can cause soft, flavorless sauerkraut, while temperatures below 60°F may result in sluggish fermentation and inadequate acidity development.
Keep Cabbage Properly Submerged: Always ensure cabbage stays covered by 1-2 inches of brine during fermentation. Use a heavy plate, clean stone, or double-layer food-grade plastic bags filled with brine as weights. Exposure to air encourages mold growth and can ruin your batch.
Process Frozen Cabbage Immediately After Thawing: Since frozen cabbage becomes soft and is only suitable for cooked dishes, plan to use it directly in soups, stir-fries, or casseroles without fully thawing. The texture change makes it perfect for dishes where the cabbage will be cooked down, and you’ll retain maximum nutritional value.