Well....you can try to extend the life of the cabbage somewhat but Savoy cabbages are not for storing. First, don't wash them before storing them. Second, put them in paper, not plastic. I don't think you're going to get anything better than 2 weeks of storage this way. If you're just planning on using them for soup, have you considered freezing them? I would guess that you could cut them up, quickly blanch them and freeze them.

I stored mine in the garden wrapped in several layers of row covers. Temps have gotten to 15 degrees here, but they've been fine. I finally picked the last one yesterday.

The traditional method is turned head downward in a trench dug alongside where they were growing, with some dirt hoed up for insulation - done just beforew the ground freezes. Hence the yiddish advisory of disapproval "may you be like a cabbage with your head in the ground and your feet waving in the air"....

Thanks Macheske-unfortunately I dont have that much freezer space, except outside...

so Laceyville's idea may work for us, as we have more room "out than in" and plenty of cool temps...not to mention several inches of new snow today too..

pnbrowns idea may work as well, tho im worried about digging them out, since we do get a hard freeze here in upstate NY...I can get out to the garden still, but Im not sure I can work the ground enuf to dig out cabbages, yiddish or otherwise :o)

thanks for all the ideas for next year!

you could make sauerkraut. the cabbage will be much more nutritious and will store for a long time.

It's more nutritious pickled (or fermented)? Much more, no less? I'd go for fresh stored cabbage anyday, which can be eaten raw or cooked in so many ways.

We like to harvest our cabbages right before a hard freeze, in the mid 20's range or lower. We do not wash them at all, but wrap them with a layer or two of newspaper, then put each one into a vegetable bag. Into the spare frig were they keep for months that way. The newspaper helps them not stick to plastic, which makes them kinda rot where they cannot breath. We still have some in the frig from this fall.

fermented cabbage (sauerkraut) is one of the healthiest things on the planet(as long as it isn't pasteurized or super salted)!
it's full of tons of vitamin c, pro-biotics for your digestive tract and lots of other vitamins and minerals. it's a super immune system booster and helps you digest most of everything else you eat as well.
also, since it's already been fermented a lot of the nutrients are much more bio-available than if it were raw or cooked.
a word of warning, the usda recommends using an enormous amount of salt if making it yourself. i use about two tablespoons for every 2 gallons of kraut and it can keep for months as long as it stays beneath the brine.
"Harsch" makes awesome traditional fermenting crocks and if you google "raw saurkraut" you'll find lots of info to support what i've written here.
enjoy!

Have you ever made kraut from red cabbage or only green? Because I have access to lot more red here.

red cabbage will ferment. Most veggies ferment. Koreans call it Kim Chee I might have the spelling wrong. fermented veggies are very healthy. again as long as there is not too much salt. 2% salt by weight is enough.

water causes rot because it fosters growth of bacteria. If you use hydrogen peroxide it will kill bacteria on the surface and help preserve. But you still want to get cabbage dry before storage.

Wrapping all veggies in plastic bags causes rot. some more than other veggies.

Certain cabbages should last at least until spring. Look over the seed catalogs. some are listed for very long term storage. Probably those with a tight head. savoy with a loose head will let bacteria into the interior where bacteria and mold can grow.

There is a product made from grapefruit seeds that is a sterilizer used commercially to clean salad greens before packing into plastic envelops to sell. Hydrogen Peroxide comes in different grades depending on trace elements. Food grade HP would of course be the best to use but none is needed for cabbage. loose lettuce is more of a concern. also fresh spinach is usually given a sterilizing bath to try to hold down the bacteria build up in those plastic bags.

Wrapping it all up the first thing to do is get a proper cabbage designed for long term storage and then work from there. It would probably store lightly frozen. Lets say you get the smallest sized chest freezer and set the thermostat for just barely 32 F freezing or maybe a few degrees lower. or try to do some research using google to get the best temperature. I bet you could keep them all winter. You might not have to plug in the freezer if you have it in a garage up north over the winter when it gets good and cold outside.

So, given plumfans tried and true way, and dangoulds advice- Im thinking maybe I could adapt it somewhat for my situation ie no extra fridge. What I think I will try is to wrap them in newspaper, and place them in a large ice chest we have out on our enclosed patio. They will stay very cool, but hopefully wont freeze too hard. Has anyone tried anything like that, or have concerns/advice for doing it that way?

Thanks to all!