There are many ways to cut a cabbage. Some recipes, especially those that call for stew, will want it cut into wedges. Here's how to cut both a round and a long cabbage.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Before You Begin: Preparation
Step 1. Choose a fresh cabbage
You understand the degree of freshness from the crunchiness of the leaves. It should be tight to the body for round cabbages and only slightly off for long ones. Also, there should be no dark markings and the core should look fresh and not dry.
- Green cabbage is a round variety. Its leaves should be well together and dark on the outside. The inner ones of a pale green.
- Red cabbage is another round variety and the characteristics are the same as just mentioned. The particularly firm outer leaves should be a nice purple color.
- The cabbage is round but the leaves are wrinkled and quite open compared to other cabbages. They have a color ranging from dark to light green.
- Chinese cabbage is long and thin with open, pale green leaves.
Step 2. Use a kitchen knife
Choose a sharp one with a solid, smooth blade.
use only stainless steel knives. Never those of other metals because the chemical components of the cabbages themselves could cause reactions in contact with those of the metal. As a result, both cabbage and knife can turn black
Step 3. Keep the cutter steady
Place a damp sheet of paper towel underneath to keep it from moving as you cut the cabbage.
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Soak the kitchen paper in the water and squeeze out the excess. This will give the paper enough tension to prevent the cutter from moving.
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Do not put a sheet of paper too wet because in that case you would favor it slippery.
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Note that this is not necessary if you are using a silicone cutter.
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Step 4. Clean your workstation and tools
Hands, knife and cutter must be clean before starting.
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Use soap and water to wash your hands and clean tools before and after cutting.
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Rinse the knife and cutter under running water to remove soap residue. Dry well with kitchen paper.
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Don't wash the cabbage yet. You should rinse it after you cut it and not before.
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Method 2 of 3: Method One: Cut a Round Cabbage
Step 1. Learn which varieties are referred to
Round cabbages have very compact leaves and are spherical. Common varieties include green, red and cabbage.
Step 2. Remove the outer leaves
With your hands you peel the cabbage from the hard or damaged parts.
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Round heads with tightly closed leaves have thicker outer ones. Even if they are in good condition, you should still remove them before cutting the cabbage as they tend to be woody and not particularly good. This is especially true if you want to eat raw cabbage.
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The damaged or discolored parts must be removed.
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Step 3. Cut the cabbage in half
Arrange it with the half face down and cut it further in half from top to bottom.
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If when you cut it you suspect that it has been raided by worms or insects inside, you can still use it. You need to soak it in salt water for 20 minutes before continuing.
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Step 4. Cut the halves into quarters
Place each half face down and cut it a third time in half to create the quarters.
You can stop or cut again depending on your personal taste and recipe
Step 5. Remove only the hard parts of the core
Turn the quarters over to get a visual of the cuts. Cut out the lower white woody part of each quarter. Take away only that and not all the white.
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By keeping part of the heart, the leaves will stick together and it will be easier to manage the quarters. If you cut it all off, the leaves will separate. The cabbage will still be edible but the quarters will be ruined.
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With the heart facing you, cut a triangular shape from the top of the white fiber but not all the way down. Slice a large portion of it but leave a thin layer on the bottom.
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If you are worried about cutting too much, you can also leave that part untouched. It is hard compared to the leaves but will become soft and edible once cooked.
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Step 6. Cut the quarters into eighths again if you want
For even smaller portions arrange each quarter with one side face down and cut lengthwise from top to bottom.
This is usually the preferred size. If you make tiny quarters you could risk ruining them or opening them
Step 7. Wash the cabbage
Gently rinse each quarter under running water. Dry them with kitchen paper.
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The inside of the cabbage is usually clean but rinsing it won't hurt.
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Keep the quarters in a colander in case a few leaves separate under the water. The colander will hold the leaves while letting the water drain.
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You don't have to scrub the leaves when washing them.
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To dry the quarters after rinsing them, place them on a few overlapping sheets of paper for a few minutes. Excess water should be absorbed.
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Method 3 of 3: Method Two: Cut a Thin Lugo Cabbage
Step 1. Learn which varieties are referred to
Long cabbages have the most open leaves and look like rods. The most common variety is Chinese cabbage.
Step 2. Remove the outer leaves
Use your hands to remove damaged or dark parts.
In these varieties the outer leaves are not as hard as in the round ones. So you will only have to remove them if they are discolored or damaged
Step 3. Cut the head in half
Arrange the head of the cabbage to the side and cut it lengthwise from top to bottom.
You don't have to remove any part of the heart when cutting a long cabbage. For the quarters it is better to keep it. The heart holds the leaves together which means they will remain intact
Step 4. Cut the halves in half
Turn them so that the cut side is face down on the cutter. Cut the half lengthwise once again, creating the quarters.
Since these cabbages are long and thin, you probably won't be able to cut smaller quarters without opening the leaves and losing them
Step 5. If you want, also cut in half in width
You can stop after cutting the quarters but if the pieces are too long, cut each quarter in half to reduce the length of each in half.
Note however that any unjoined quarter in the center will likely break but the cabbage will still be edible
Step 6. Rinse
Gently pass the cabbage under running water. Drain it on several sheets of kitchen paper.
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While the inside is usually clean, running it under water won't hurt.
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Keep the quarters in a colander in case a few leaves separate under the water. The colander will hold the leaves while letting the water drain.
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You don't have to scrub the leaves when washing them.
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To dry the quarters after rinsing them, place them on a few overlapping sheets of paper for a few minutes. Excess water should be absorbed.
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Advice
- Cut the cabbage right before using it. Once you do that, it loses vitamin C pretty fast. So the only way to preserve the most of it is to use it as fast as possible.
- Store the cabbage in the refrigerator. Whole red and green ones can last up to two weeks, while the cabbage one week. Once cut, it must be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept cool, used within a few days.
- If you need to set it aside once it has been cut, scrub the surface with lemon juice to keep it from discoloring.
