Can you can cabbage, eat it and live?

[greengenes]

I am getting 'yes/ no' answers.
It is not in the canning book. but if I can can collards... ?
I make kraut each year, but I would like some non fermented cabbage for soup and stew and things.
..and I have a boat load of them.
Gotta get a goat.
or plant less next year.
I could plant less...
...But you know if I do I won't get any. It just works that way.

 

[lesa]

I have frozen it-think the directions are in the blue book canning manual. It was not wonderful, but certainly fine for soups and stews. It was quartered. Do you have chickens? They love them...

 

[greengenes]

I have limited freezer space, so I prefer to can. I also do not have to think ahead enough to thaw.
I do have chickens, but they are getting garden produced out.
I just make my gardens too big.
I have no self control when it comes to gardens.

 

[baymule]

got friends? family? widow ladies at church? neighbors? fresh veggies are appreciated so much by those who don't garden for various reasons. like the goat idea too!

 

[catjac1975]

I had cabbage freeze in the crisper when my fridge went crazy and froze everting in the fresh food side. I threw it in a soup and it was sweet and delicious. It was not blanched, as it was unintended. I am thinking about freezing extra cabbage for winter soups.

 

[greengenes]

All good ideas!

 

[journey11]

Good question. Here's what I found from the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

It would seem to me to be more an issue of taste/texture than food safety. I can't see that chopped or shredded cabbage would prevent the heat from distributing evenly throughout the jar (as pureed squash would, for example). It's not considered a green though. When you think about it, most greens are for braising and need long cook times to become tender. Cabbage is already tender. Probably cooks to mush after the amount of time and pressure required to safely can it.

Now, it appears that there are plenty of people out there canning it anyways though and to their liking it must turn out fine. Apparently it was common practice up until about 10 years ago or so and now the USDA frowns upon it. Sauerkraut is included in that too, although I wouldn't want to can it anyway since it's fermented.

I have frozen it for quick use in soups, but storing the heads whole in a cold cellar would produce the best tasting results. But they only keep for 3 to 4 months, so bummer.

 

[greengenes]

I would love to have a root cellar, but you dig that deep down here and you get a pool.
Yes, Sauerkraut is my confusion because it and that Korean pickled cabbage is in the blue book for canning, and I have canned it each year. it is less crunchy and wonderful than the fresh, but it gets eaten without complaint. I figured the acid and salt levels are high enough to offer an added level of protection.

I think I will not try the canning, it is too time consuming.
others have obviously had success, but without a guideline of time and pressure ... I like my family.

I think I will freeze some pint sized bags for quick soup and stir fry, and if it does not hold up it can be chicken food.
I did that with carrot and zucchini last year, and used them in soup.
I guess I just need more freezer space.
Thank you, all!

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

P. Allen Smith has a "fake" sauerkraut recipe for canning cabbage. It's not sour at all and taste just like boiled cabbage to me. I use it for soups. It's a YouTube video I found. I do can yellow squash, have for years. I use a method that can be found on YouTube also, from katzcradul (sp?).