Italian Cabbage 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. Savoy can be used in any recipe that calls for green cabbage.

Douse the cabbage in vinegar water, if desired.

Vinegar kills some types of bacteria and helps killing mold and mildew that could have grown on the cabbage.

If there are any signs of bugs or worms as cabbage can have, soak in salt water for 15 minutes. I usually add about a tablespoon of salt to enough water to submerge the cabbage.

The napa cabbage has a delicate taste, while regular cabbages have a crunchy texture and a peppery taste. The white portion of the stem is usually removed when preparing the cabbage to be eaten raw, steamed, or braised – it has an unpalatable taste and can be tough to eat.

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.

To reduce the likelihood of experiencing gas after eating cabbage, consider cooking it thoroughly. This can help break down the fibers and make it easier to digest. Additionally, try adding caraway seeds or fennel seeds to your cabbage dishes, as these spices are known to help reduce gas.

Quite unlike the ice-water cabbage, salted cabbage shreds lost most of its liquid while sitting in the salt, leaving the cabbage pickle-crisp. In addition to having less water in it, the cabbage took on more of the dressing's flavors, and unlike stiff, icy shreds, this limp cabbage was also easier to eat.

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.

An excellent variety for sauerkraut and the best cabbage variety for storage. Heads are large and flat, weighing 6 to 10 lbs., and averaging 11 inches diameter with medium core and few outside leaves.

Which is healthier cabbage or napa cabbage? ›

Both are excellent sources of important vitamins and minerals. Regular cabbage contains more calcium, zinc and potassium than napa, but napa cabbage contains higher levels of vitamins A, B3, iron and copper. Napa is also lower in sodium than regular cabbage.

A significant reason for the rising price of cabbage is drought which makes it hard to grow the crop.

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).

Minimize heat exposure: Exposing cabbage to heat will speed the enzyme activity and flavor development. The longer the exposure to heat, the stronger the flavors and aromas. Short and quick cooking over high heat will minimize bitter and pungent notes and create pleasing caramelized sugar flavors.

Chockful of nutrients

Red cabbage offers another bonus: It's rich in natural pigments called anthocyanins, which new research suggests may help boost insulin production and lower blood sugar levels. Finally, cabbage is often prepared with vinegar, which can help lower the GL of your whole meal.