Easy and Delicious Boiled Cabbage Recipe - The How-To Home (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put vinegar in cabbage when boiling it? ›

Green is the heartiest variety; it takes well to all cooking methods. Red can turn a funny blue color when cooked, so it's best used raw. If you do want to cook it, add a touch of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to lessen the effect. Savoy can be used in any recipe that calls for green cabbage.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add cabbage. (It's OK to crowd the pot because the cabbage will shrink!) Step 2Boil until tender, about 5 minutes for shredded cabbage and 10 minutes for wedges. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate to dry.

Adding baking soda to your boiling cabbage can help reduce the objectionable smell and maintain the green color long after when it typically turns grayish from cooking for too long. However, this may rid the cabbage of its nutritional value.

Insert a steamer basket inside a saucepan. Add enough water to the pan so the water level is just below the bottom of the basket. Bring water to a boil, then add cabbage wedges to the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cabbage is crisp-tender.

Add about 1/2 inch of lightly salted water to a large skillet or Dutch oven. Cover, and bring to a boil. Add cabbage wedges and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Simmer, covered, until the cabbage begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.

The water should be about 3/4 of an inch (1.9 cm) deep or enough to place your cabbage in without overflowing.

The key to cooking cabbage: Don't overcook it.

Cabbage is sweet and aromatic when cooked correctly. But the same sulfuric compounds that provide many of its health benefits can turn saboteur when overcooked, creating a pungent, unpleasant smell.

Cabbage contains an insoluble sugar and a lot of fiber. These can cause gas in some people. However, there are some herbs that might be useful, cooked with the cabbage, to reduce the amount of gas. These include dill seed, sage, caraway, basil, oregano, ginger, fennel, and allspice.

How do you take the bitterness out of cabbage? ›

Chop and soak: Soaking chopped cabbage in cold water for about 15 minutes will leach out most of the bitter and harsh flavor compounds, while also making the cabbage crisper. This is especially vital for leaf cabbage, but also works with firmer head cabbage varieties.

When plant cells are broken, the oils are separated from the sugar molecules by an enzyme and released as a very bitter compound. It's a clever defense mechanism for the cabbage plant to discourage hungry foragers.

For the crunchiest coleslaw, always salt the cabbage first.

Before cooking, remove any tired or discoloured leaves and always cook red cabbage with a little vinegar. This preserves the beautiful purple colour – without it, the cabbage will turn blue!

A few whole cloves added to the boiling water for cabbage impart a delicately complementary flavor and aroma and may help to prevent gas during digestion. Other sweet spices that may be carminative include allspice, cinnamon and ginger.

The cabbage juice is called an indicator because it can tell you the pH of a solution based on the color that it changes. The vinegar will turn the cabbage juice red because it is an acid (acetic acid). The baking soda will turn the cabbage juice greenish-yellow because it is a base (sodium bicarbonate).