Cabbage Casserole Recipe (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.

Red and green cabbage can be used interchangeably in most recipes.

When cooked, savoy cabbage's naturally sweet undertones become more pronounced, and its texture softens to a succulent, almost melt-in-the-mouth consistency. Unlike some greens, which can turn bitter when cooked, savoy cabbage retains its gentle, earthy essence.

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.

Boil it. In general, cooking makes vegetables easier to digest, which can help reduce gas. To retain the nutrients in the cabbage that would be lost when you drain the water, try cabbage soup or Mexican cabbage roll soup.

Step 1Cut cabbage into wedges or slice it thin. 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.

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

Cabbage is sweet and aromatic when cooked correctly.

Cabbage. The outer layer isn't going to be eaten—the leaves are tougher and undesirable to many—so why wash cabbage? There's a good reason: Worms or other insects could be inside the cabbage, so to be safe, follow these steps for cleaning and washing it.

Both work well in salads and slaws, but it's not a good idea to substitute one for the other in cooked dishes. For example, napa's texture and flavor make it an ideal choice for quick stir-fries. Regular cabbage isn't as delicate as napa, so it's a better choice for slow-cooked recipes.

What to do with leftover cabbage? ›

Also known as pointed, hispi, or Chinese cabbage, the name sweetheart is used because of its sweet flavour, and because the French word for cabbage, chou, is used as a pet name for a sweetheart, not, as you might think, because it has a shape like a heart.

Cooking green cabbage too long

This can be especially noticeable when boiling or simmering cabbage for an extended period. But, it's not just the bad smell you have to contend with. Overcooking cabbage causes it to become mushy and limp. It can also lose its vibrant green color.

Cooked cabbage (all types): Store cooked cabbage in the fridge in an airtight container and use it within three to five days. You can also freeze cooked cabbage in an airtight container for up to 10 months. TIP: Once thawed, cooked cabbage will keep in the fridge for three to four days.

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.

If you add vinegar it will stay the original color. The reddish pigment in the cabbage acts as a pH indicator like litmus paper. Your method of cooking is alkaline which isn't bad but would change the color of cabbage.

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).

Blanch Them. Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.