The Absolute Best Way To Refrigerate Cabbage And Maintain Freshness

Fresh cabbage can keep in the refrigerator for much longer than the average vegetable. In fact, it's one of the types of produce that lasts the longest in the fridge — if you store it correctly. With proper technique, a head of cabbage can last in your crisper drawer for months at a time. It's important to note that, with cabbage, you want to take the least invasive approach possible. The absolute best way to store cabbage is by leaving it whole and unwashed when you put it in the refrigerator.

Cabbage likes cold weather, and doing your best to facilitate these conditions will extend its life. Because of this, the crisper drawer is the ideal spot in your refrigerator for this vegetable. You can place the cabbage in this drawer as-is, or you can place it inside a plastic bag to help retain moisture. Do not seal the bag, but leave it open so the cabbage can breathe a little bit. 

Don't cut into a head of cabbage before you store it. The outer leaves of the head serve to protect the inside and keep it fresh and juicy. As soon as you cut into a cabbage, you begin to advance an aging process that limits your window of usage to just a few days. When cooking with cabbage, wait to cut into it until just before you are ready to use it.

That said, an entire head of cabbage can be a lot to eat in one dish. If you have cut into a cabbage and only used part of it, be aware that you should use up the remaining leaves as soon as possible. To maximize its continued freshness, tightly wrap the cut pieces in plastic wrap and put them back in the crisper drawer. Also, do your best to minimize the amount of bruising or other damage to the cabbage because this will further degrade it.