Here's How To Boil Cabbage Perfectly Every Time (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.

How long should I boil cabbage? Shredded cabbage will be done in around 5 minutes; for wedges, it'll be done around 10. You want to cook until tender, but err on the side of caution—overcooked cabbage will turn limp and give off a less-than-pleasant smell. Tip: Make sure to drain your cabbage to prevent overcooking!

It's Packed With Nutrients

Half a cup of cooked cabbage has about a third the vitamin C you need for the day. It also gives you doses of fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and K, and more.

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.

Baking soda does help green vegetables retain color, but it causes undesirable color changes in red cabbage—it turned blue. The science can be distilled to this: Adding baking soda to cooking water makes it slightly alkaline, which stabilizes the green color of chlorophyll.

Raw cabbage contains compounds that can lead to increased gas production during digestion. For those prone to flatulence or with sensitive digestive systems, consuming raw cabbage may exacerbate these issues. Cooking cabbage can help break down these compounds, reducing the likelihood of excessive gas.

Cabbage does double detox duty. Its diuretic properties help rid your body of excess liquid, carrying toxins along with it. Like other cruciferous veggies, cabbage is also sulfur-rich, helping your liver break down toxins so they can be more easily expelled.

Consuming cabbage in excess can result in abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea and flatulence. It can also result in ingesting toxic chemicals like goitrin, thiocyanates and benzyl cyanide.

Boiled cabbage is notoriously smelly and steaming is often thought of as a less aromatic way to cook the vegetable. However, the pungent smell is actually the result of overcooking. Boil it just until tender, and you won't have a stinky kitchen.

Cooking. BOILING: Wash and cut cabbage into quarters or large wedges. Add about 1/2 inch of water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Why soak cabbage in vinegar? ›

An old trick to use is to leave the cabbage lightly doused in vinegar water for a couple of minutes before proceeding to wash the cabbage with water. Usually between two or four minutes. Vinegar kills some types of bacteria and helps killing mold and mildew that could have grown on the cabbage.

Anthocyanins tend to change their colour according to acidity or alkalinity of the environment. Cooking water is usually slightly alkaline, so red cabbage chnges its color to dark purple, deep Navy blue, sometimes almost black. Add a little of vinegar to the cooking water and the cabbage will retain its red colour.

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).

When cooked in an alkaline liquid like water, red cabbage turns blue. Adding vinegar, lemon juice, or another acid helps the cabbage to retain its red-purple color.