Freeze Cabbage for No-Cook Cabbage Roll Prep

Want to cut down your prep time when making cabbage rolls? Follow this simple tip for a no-cook way to prepare your cabbage leaves for stuffing.

If you want to make stuffed cabbage leaves, you don't have to cook the leaves to make them pliable. It’s a lot easier just to freeze the cabbage—an added benefit is it doesn’t stink up your house. The night before you want to use it, cut out the core so the leaves will peel off easily, then put the cabbage in the freezer.

Tips-Freeze-Cabbage-for-No-Cook-Cabbage-Roll-Prep2

The next day, let the cabbage thaw out a few hours before you start to stuff the leaves. Freezing breaks down the structure of the leaves, making them pliable and unlikely to crack or break when you pull them from the head or roll them for stuffing.

Tips-Freeze-Cabbage-for-No-Cook-Cabbage-Roll-Prep3

Tags: Vegetables

Equipment/Special Ingredients Needed

Want to give this technique a try?

Check out our recommendations for the necessary equipment and ingredients to make this recipe. All products featured on Cuisine at Home are independently selected by our editors; we may earn an affiliate commission from qualifying purchases through our links.

Kitchen Tips and Timesavers by Cuisine at Home

Comments ()

Jeanette

Feb. 19, 2023, 3:10 p.m. Edited Edit Delete Hide

I tried this technique and was so happy …It definitely worked….I had a very large cabbage and put it in my freezer as is and kept in there for a few days….When I took it out I just left it on the counter in a strainer over a bowl all day to thaw out….Before I went to bed I checked to see if it was completely thawed out and saw that I was able to start removing some of the leaves very carefully (so as not to tear) but quite easily….I was able to remove about 15 leaves (I put them on a large tray and covered them loosely with a thin cotton dish towel….The leaves were wet and I was hoping they wouldn’t dry out so I put the tray in the refrigerator overnight (still covered)….Since the rest of the cabbage was still frozen, I left it out over night in the strainer over the bowl covered lightly with another clean cotton dish towel…..In the morning I was able to remove the rest of the leaves quite easily….I was so amazed how easy it was…..I am of Polish descent and have been making Stuffed Cabbage (GOLABKI) for years and when I came across this very strange technique from Cuisineathome.com I was very skeptical….But, let me tell you I was so amazed I had to comment….Normally, it used to take me hours to make stuffed cabbage….Now I put the cabbage in the freezer for a couple of days and the day before I take it out of the freezer I prepare the stuffing which is ground pork, egg, medium to large diced onion,(I lightly brown the diced onion and cool before putting it into the mixture), then squeeze in some ketchup, a heaping tablespoon of sour cream 1/2 cup to 3/4 of a cup of uncooked rice (white or brown) garlic powder, pepper and caraway seeds (mixed all together like you are making a meatloaf) put in a bowl covered with plastic wrap) and refrigerate until you are all ready to fill each leaf …..Then in a in a large pot (which I always spray with cooking spray first then line with a couple of bacon strips on the bottom and some leftover cabbage leaves you didn’t use) to give the Stuffed Cabbage a place to lie on if you have any leftover leaves that is….then Empty contents of 3 Cans Tomato Soup, about 1/2 to 1 cup of Chicken Stock, sprinkle some pepper, garlic powder and caraway seeds over the mixture (putting the heat on low ) then place the stuffed cabbage leaves on top of each other sprinkling with a little more pepper, garlic powder and a healthy amount of Caraway Seeds…..Cover and make sure the heat is on a low to medium heat on top of stove ….I keep checking every half hour and carefully push the cabbage rolls down with a fork, (it should be at a very low boil more like a simmer and if it looks like you need a little more stock add as little as possible …I also hold the pot with pot holders of course and shake it a little so that the contents moves around a little and doesn’t stick or burn…..I coke it for 2 hours….You can also make it in the oven but check on line for how long and what degree…..

Edit Comment

Display Name (public):

Email (not public - for verification only):

Content: I tried this technique and was so happy …It definitely worked….I had a very large cabbage and put it in my freezer as is and kept in there for a few days….When I took it out I just left it on the counter in a strainer over a bowl all day to thaw out….Before I went to bed I checked to see if it was completely thawed out and saw that I was able to start removing some of the leaves very carefully (so as not to tear) but quite easily….I was able to remove about 15 leaves (I put them on a large tray and covered them loosely with a thin cotton dish towel….The leaves were wet and I was hoping they wouldn’t dry out so I put the tray in the refrigerator overnight (still covered)….Since the rest of the cabbage was still frozen, I left it out over night in the strainer over the bowl covered lightly with another clean cotton dish towel…..In the morning I was able to remove the rest of the leaves quite easily….I was so amazed how easy it was…..I am of Polish descent and have been making Stuffed Cabbage (GOLABKI) for years and when I came across this very strange technique from Cuisineathome.com I was very skeptical….But, let me tell you I was so amazed I had to comment….Normally, it used to take me hours to make stuffed cabbage….Now I put the cabbage in the freezer for a couple of days and the day before I take it out of the freezer I prepare the stuffing which is ground pork, egg, medium to large diced onion,(I lightly brown the diced onion and cool before putting it into the mixture), then squeeze in some ketchup, a heaping tablespoon of sour cream 1/2 cup to 3/4 of a cup of uncooked rice (white or brown) garlic powder, pepper and caraway seeds (mixed all together like you are making a meatloaf) put in a bowl covered with plastic wrap) and refrigerate until you are all ready to fill each leaf …..Then in a in a large pot (which I always spray with cooking spray first then line with a couple of bacon strips on the bottom and some leftover cabbage leaves you didn’t use) to give the Stuffed Cabbage a place to lie on if you have any leftover leaves that is….then Empty contents of 3 Cans Tomato Soup, about 1/2 to 1 cup of Chicken Stock, sprinkle some pepper, garlic powder and caraway seeds over the mixture (putting the heat on low ) then place the stuffed cabbage leaves on top of each other sprinkling with a little more pepper, garlic powder and a healthy amount of Caraway Seeds…..Cover and make sure the heat is on a low to medium heat on top of stove ….I keep checking every half hour and carefully push the cabbage rolls down with a fork, (it should be at a very low boil more like a simmer and if it looks like you need a little more stock add as little as possible …I also hold the pot with pot holders of course and shake it a little so that the contents moves around a little and doesn’t stick or burn…..I coke it for 2 hours….You can also make it in the oven but check on line for how long and what degree…..

Address:

Show Fewer ▲

Freeze Cabbage for No-Cook Cabbage Roll Prep

Equipment/Special Ingredients Needed

Want to give this technique a try?

Comments ()

Reply to Comment

Edit Comment

Delete Comment

Add Comment