Have you ever been a little ambitious with your cabbage cooking? Maybe it was on sale at the farmers market, and you simply couldnt resist. Or perhaps you plucked more than a few of these succulent spheres from your gardens harvest.

No matter what the reason is, excess cabbage probably has you wondering: can I freeze these leafy greens?

After all, youd hate to waste such a nutrient-packed vegetable. Cabbage is high in vitamins A, B, and K. And they taste fantastic whether cooked (or raw). Yet, most leafy greens seem to suffer in the freezer.

So, can cooked cabbage be frozen? Is this cruciferous vegetable an exception to the rule?

All of your cooked cabbage freezing questions are answered here. Read on to learn whether you can, whether you should, and how you would freeze cooked cabbage.

Related Article: Can You Freeze Lettuce?

Can You Freeze Cooked Cabbage?

Yes, cooked cabbage may be frozen. In truth, you can freeze just about any vegetable, but the results arent always stellar.

Is it possible to freeze cooked cabbage? Yes, to both of these questions! Freezing cooked cabbage of any type is a great idea. Theres almost no discernable difference in texture or taste when it thaws.

You can freeze cooked green cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage, or Bok Choy.

However, fresh cabbage should never be frozen. Raw cabbage is full of fiber, and it has a high water content. Together, that means raw cabbage will turn to mush if you freeze it.

Cook or blanch your cabbage first and then freeze it; the results will be much better. In fact, if you blanch your cabbage first, you can freeze it and then use it in raw preparations, like salads and coleslaws.

Blanching simply means scalding the cabbage in boiling water for a short period. It takes roughly 90 seconds with cabbage. After that, you place the cabbage in an ice bath to cool it rapidly. Then, you can flash freeze the cabbage leaves by laying them out on a sheet pan and sticking them in the freezer for an hour or two.

Once the leaves are flash-frozen, you can continue freezing using the steps below, beginning with step two.

How to Freeze Cooked Cabbage

Now that you know its possible lets go over the basic steps. Freezing cooked cabbage is a simple method.

The first step, of course, is to boil your cabbage. You can fry it, steam it, or blanch it (which we outlined above.) Following that,

Let the Cabbage Cool

If you throw your cooked cabbage in the freezer while its hot or even warm, you could raise the temperature of your freezer, which could cause other frozen items to begin defrosting.

Worse still, warm cabbage will take forever to freeze. If it takes too long, bacteria can begin breeding, which is a significant problem. No one wants a food-borne illness from frozen cooked cabbage!

If you dont have time to let it cool on the counter, you can use an ice bath to speed things up. Place the cooked cabbage in a bowl. Then set that bowl inside a larger container filled with ice and water. The cabbage will quickly cool down.

Wrap It

Air is the enemy when it comes to freezing food, so wrap your cabbage tightly! If youre using plastic, make sure its of the freezer-safe variety. Foil or freezer bags may also be used.

For a fool-proof method, wrap the cooked cabbage in plastic wrap, then wrap it in foil. The double-layers will keep the freezer burn away by eliminating airflow around your food.

Label It

You think youre going to remember the foil brick inside your freezer is filled with cooked cabbage, but be honest; you wont. Even if you somehow manage to remember, you probably wont recall the date you froze it. Label the outside with a sharpie and save yourself the guessing game.

Freeze as Fast as Possible

The faster your food freezes, the better the quality will be. Freeze your cooked cabbage in small portions if possible. Theyll freeze faster and are typically more convenient to use.

To Thaw or Not to Thaw

Once your cabbage is frozen, theres one more question to consider. Should you thaw your cooked cabbage before you use it?

Usually, the answer is no. Typically, youll use cooked cabbage in soups, stews, or casseroles. In preparations like that, theres no need to thaw your cabbage before you use it. Itll thaw as the dish cooks without diminishing the dishs quality or texture.

How Long Will Cooked Cabbage Last In The Fridge/Freezer?

Now that youve filled your freezer with cooked cabbage, you might be wondering, how long is cooked cabbage good for?

Cooked cabbage will last in the freezer for at least nine months with no discernible change in quality, giving you plenty of time to use it.

Technically speaking, you can keep cooked cabbage in the freezer for up to 12 months, but youll notice the quality begins to break down. After 12 months, its still safe to eat, but it might have a strange texture.

If you want top-quality frozen cooked cabbage that lasts a full 14 months without a change in quality, you can try using a vacuum-sealed bag for freezing.

Vacuum-sealing keeps air out, and air causes oxidation. Freezer burn is caused by oxidation in frozen foods. Freezer burn isnt harmful healthwise, but it messes with foods texture. So, a vacuum-sealed bag is the best way to freeze food for long periods.

Should you choose to thaw your cooked cabbage, it will last covered in the fridge for another three days. After then, it’s time to get rid of it.

How to Tell If Your Frozen Cooked Cabbage Is Bad

When you consider how long you can keep cooked cabbage in the fridge without freezing (3-5 days at most), frozen cabbages shelf life seems unreal. That doesn’t mean it can’t go wrong.

If you notice any foul smells or off-coloring, you should throw the cabbage away. Dont bother to taste it; its not worth the potential stomach ache!

It shouldnt go bad in the freezer from a health standpoint because microbes cant colonize in such cold temperatures. However, your cooked cabbage could have been starting to spoil before you froze it. It might also become bad after thawing.

Bacteria are not killed by cold temperatures; rather, they are rendered dormant. So, if your cooked cabbage was going bad before you froze it, the bacteria will activate as your cabbage warms up.

It is thus critical to only freeze freshly cooked cabbage. Dont freeze it, to begin with, if you notice yellowing, bad smells, or other signs of spoilage.

Bacteria can also begin to colonize during thawing if your cabbage gets too warm. Most recipes using frozen cooked cabbage wont require you to thaw the cabbage at all. If you do need to, or decide to, make sure you do so in the fridge.

Sometimes people choose to thaw frozen cabbage on their kitchen counters. The risk, though, is that bacteria thrive in temperatures over 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes time for bacteria to populate, but if you leave your thawing cabbage at room temperature for too long, you could run into a problem. Bacteria lead to food-borne illnesses that are potentially very serious.

What to Do With Frozen Cooked Cabbage

In soups and casseroles, frozen cooked cabbage is a godsend. It doesn’t even need to be thawed! Pull it straight from the freezer and throw it in a soupe aux choux (thats French for cabbage soup). Or, toss it in a stuffed cabbage casserole, along with tomatoes and melted cheese!

If you happened to freeze whole, blanched cabbage leaves, they work great for cabbage rolls! You will, however, need to defrost them first. Place them in the fridge overnight, and be sure to skip any blanching steps in your cabbage roll recipe. Your cabbage leaves will already be flexible and ready for rolling.

You might also combine the cooked cabbage with other recipes. Its fantastic alongside pierogi or mixed into fried rice. You could add it to goulash or even mix it into mashed potatoes to create colcannon, an Irish classic.

Of course, you could also eat it on its own. Seasoned with salt and garlic, cooked cabbage can be delightful.

Final Thoughts

So, can you freeze cooked cabbage?

Yes, it is a resounding yes! Cooked cabbage is perfect for freezing and will last a long time that way. If you use a vacuum-sealed bag, you could enjoy your cooked cabbage for up to 14 months after you freeze it!

Furthermore, thawing is typically optional. Frozen cooked cabbage can go straight from the freezer to your soup pot. It also does well in casseroles or tossed in with mashed potatoes or rice. If you do want to thaw it, simply place the cabbage in your fridge overnight. It’s that easy!

You can freeze cooked cabbage, and we believe you should. Don’t throw away surplus cabbage; instead, freeze it. When it comes time to make a casserole or soup, youll be glad you did!