Savoy and other hardy winter cabbages will stand through a light frost in the bed, but a hard freeze followed by a thaw can split a head that's full of water, and picking from frozen, waterlogged ground is miserable. Cutting the ready heads now and storing them somewhere cool and dry keeps them eating well for weeks longer, with none of the mud.

Harvest and Store Winter Cabbages for Keeping

What you need

1 wooden crate or slatted box or a length of slatted shelving
1 bundle newspaper for wrapping heads individually
1 length garden twine if hanging heads instead of crating them

Step by step

Choose heads that feel solid all the way through when pressed, not still loosely folding at the crown. Leave any that aren't ready for another week.
10 min
Cut through the stem close to the ground with a sharp knife, leaving two or three of the loose outer wrapper leaves attached rather than trimming them off in the bed.
15 min
Check each head over for slug damage, yellowing leaves or caterpillar holes, and pull away only the leaves that are actually spoiled.
10 min
Carry the heads to a frost-free shed or garage rather than anywhere heated, which will make them sweat and rot faster.
5 min
Either stand heads upright on a slatted shelf or pallet with gaps between them for air, or tie a loop of twine around each stem and hang them stem-up from a beam.
10 min
Wrap any heads going straight onto a shelf individually in a sheet of newspaper, which draws off surface moisture and stops one rotting head touching its neighbour.
5 min

Afterwards

Check the store every week or two and remove any head that has turned soft or started to smell — one rotting cabbage will take its neighbours with it if left. Brush off any newspaper that has gone damp and replace it. Used outer leaves can go straight on the compost heap.

Questions

How long will stored cabbage actually keep?

Eight to ten weeks in a cool, frost-free shed is typical for a solid winter cabbage like savoy. Soft spring greens don't store this way at all and should be eaten fresh.

Can I just leave cabbages in the ground instead?

Hardy varieties survive light frost in place, but a hard freeze followed by a thaw can split a head that's full of water, and picking from frozen, waterlogged ground is no fun. Lifting the ones that are ready avoids both problems.

Do I need to wash the cabbages before storing them?

No — washing adds moisture that encourages rot. Leave the wrapper leaves and any surface soil as they are, and only clean the head when you're ready to use it.