What are the common storage methods for napa cabbage?

Napa cabbage is nutritious and delicious, a rare delicacy, but if you happen to buy too much, how should you store napa cabbage properly? And what storage methods are there for napa cabbage?

If stored well, napa cabbage can keep until winter. In the past, on northern streets there was even the phenomenon of cabbage being sold by the ton when napa cabbage ripened, and people would store napa cabbage to eat during the vegetable-scarce winter, ensuring their health. Of course, in today's world of extreme material abundance, this phenomenon may be very rare now. But this method of storing napa cabbage is still worth preserving.

There are many ways to store napa cabbage, but the requirements for weather conditions and relative humidity are basically the same. The optimal temperature is generally 2°C to minus 2°C, and the optimal relative humidity in the air is 80-90 percent, that is, a level at which moisture can be clearly felt in the air. Here are the three most practical methods for storing and keeping napa cabbage fresh under these weather conditions.

1. Household storage method

With this method, the napa cabbage should first be dried outdoors for two to three days, until the outer leaves are wilted but not easy to break, which is optimal. Then the napa cabbage is piled up and stored outdoors in a zero-degree environment. When the outdoor temperature drops below minus 5°C, cold protection must be provided for the napa cabbage to prevent it from being damaged by freezing. When piling it up, place wooden boards at the bottom to avoid direct contact between the napa cabbage and the ground, and at the same time stack it tightly with the leaf heads facing outward and the roots facing inward. During storage, also be careful to promptly remove any rotting napa cabbage.

2. Burial method

For this storage method, choose a plot of land that is flat and dry, with fairly sticky, solid soil, and that also has good drainage and a low groundwater table. On such a plot, dig a deep trench about 1.7 m long and wide and 2.5 m deep. Spread straw or vegetable leaves on the bottom, and after the napa cabbage has been dried for 3-5 days, place it into the trench for storage. When placing it, likewise keep the roots facing inward and the leaf heads facing outward. After the napa cabbage is arranged, spread a layer of straw, and then the trench can be filled with soil.

3. Cellar storage method

First pre-store the napa cabbage in a sheltered, sunny spot for 10-20 days, and when the outside temperature drops below zero, move it into the cellar in time. The bottom of the cellar should be covered with a 6 cm thick layer of sandy soil and a layer of stalks, and any spoiled leaves should be removed. After being placed in the cellar, the cabbage should be turned once every three days to prevent the temperature inside the cellar from getting too high, and at the same time rotten leaves and loose outer leaves should be removed. As the outside temperature drops, the cellar opening should be sealed tightly to prevent the napa cabbage from being damaged by freezing.

After reading these methods for storing napa cabbage, have you learned the essence of storing napa cabbage? Are you also admiring the wisdom of the ancients? Nowadays, few people in the north continue to store napa cabbage, but this wisdom is worth continuing to pass down and inherit.