The question of how to chop cabbage is by no means an idle one. If you do it right, it will look great in any dish. One has only to stock up with a good sharp knife, to master the simple technique of shredding - and go!
What is useful cabbage
Before you go to practice, it’s worth a little talk about this amazing vegetable, which has been used in cuisines of different countries since ancient times. Cabbage grows almost throughout the globe in a temperate climate. Its useful properties have long been studied, leaves and cabbage juice are used in folk medicine. It contains a large amount of vitamin U, which is otherwise called methylmethionine. This substance perfectly protects the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines from various ulcers and inflammations. Cabbage also contains:
- vitamin C (ascorbigen);
- pantothenic and folic acid;
- salts of calcium, phosphorus and potassium;
- trace elements: manganese, aluminum, iron, zinc.
Also in cabbage there are various sugars. These are fructose, glucose and sucrose. They are easily soluble, well absorbed by the human body. This vegetable suppresses inflammation, is a stimulant in metabolism, and even helps with certain types of pain.
Which head to choose for a shredder
So how to chop the cabbage? First you need to choose a good head of cabbage. If you cook borsch or just decide to put it out, any cabbage will do. But if you want to pickle it or ferment it, you need to choose a solid head of white. It is in it that the largest number of juices, which are so necessary for salting.
The top leaves need to be removed. There is no need to wash the cabbage. It is enough to remove dark spots, if any.
Then you need to cut the cabbage into two parts, and if it is large, then into four. It is advisable to shred it from the stump so that the leaves do not fall apart. It is recommended to cut each part of the cabbage along the veins, so that you get beautiful slices of about 6-7 centimeters. When you cut it, remember that you need to do this across. Then the leaves will secrete more juice, which is so necessary when leavening.
What sizes should be cabbage strips
You need to cut parts of the head in strips of about 3 centimeters. If you make them thicker, then the cabbage may not ferment well. If, on the contrary, the sheets are crushed strongly, then when pickled they will quickly become flabby. So it’s better to choose a middle ground.
Do not take cabbage with green leaves for fermentation, they are suitable for borscht and main dishes. If the cabbage has dried, it will not work either, it is better to let it on cabbage rolls.
Choosing the right knife
First, let's figure out how to chop cabbage with a knife, if there is no special equipment in the house for this. You will need only two items. This is a wide cutting board and a sharp knife with a long and wide blade and a steady handle.
We put the prepared part of the cabbage head, press it to the board with your left hand. Keep your fingers out of the cut line. And we begin to work. Surely you saw in many culinary programs how to chop the cabbage properly. The tip of the knife should not be torn off the cutting board. Try it, it’s not difficult.
We rest against the cutting board with the tip of the knife and make the first cut. Then, without tearing off the knife, move it to the left and make another cut. And with these movements we continue - the tip of the knife is always on the cutting board, and the blade itself moves slightly. So we complete the process. Do not forget about safety measures and be careful not to injure your hands.
Various fixtures
Experienced cooking masters thought about how to chop cabbage even for those who have no skills. And for beginners, they came up with various devices that facilitate this process. Thanks to the successful design of the blades, the housewives do not even have to think about how thick the strips should be. Everything is already provided in advance. The instructions show in detail how to chop the cabbage with a special knife.
There are two successful mechanical devices for chopping cabbage.
- Knife brace.
- Vegetable slicer with one or more blades.
At the same time, the latter makes larger cuts, and with the help of a knife-bracket, you can get a finer structure. How to chop cabbage with a special knife? Take the head of the head in the left hand and start cutting it. On a vegetable cutter, accordingly, rub. Quick and convenient, the process takes just a few minutes.
Electrical assistants
You can also chop cabbage with a combine. In modern devices, there are special knives for these purposes, which regulate the thickness of the gap. Thus, you yourself can determine how wide you want cabbage strips. It’s not necessary to do traditional slicing. In a food processor, you can chop the cabbage with squares or more voluminous figures.
For those who often cook, they came up with an electric vegetable cutter. With her, the question of how to chop the cabbage does not arise at all, because everything is done very easily. This machine (some call it a spicer) is easy to configure for any mode you need - for borscht, salads, main dishes, pickles and so on.
Tasty, crispy, healthy!
So, we have mastered all the methods and now we can get down to business. Shred the cabbage for the winter according to two recipes - classic and original.
So, we take a white dense head of cabbage for 3-4 kilograms, cut it into pieces and chop. Some types of cabbage give bitterness at the stump itself. If you do not like this taste, then we advise you not to cut the leaves to the stump, leave a centimeter three to four. Also grind carrots on a coarse grater - take three or four medium root vegetables. For every kilogram of cabbage, you need one tablespoon of coarse salt. We shift the prepared carrots and cabbage into a deep bowl, fill with salt and begin to grind the mixture with your hands so that it releases the juice.
Then put it all in a jar, periodically pressing it with a spoon so that the mixture lies tightly. We leave for a day in the kitchen - cabbage will sour at room temperature for about 2-3 days. Do not forget to pierce it with a wooden stick in several places in the morning and in the evening, so that the gases come out. If there is too much juice, pour it, but if on the contrary it does not suffice, add ordinary boiled water. When you understand that the cabbage is fermented, send the jar to the refrigerator.
This recipe is good because you do not need to add vinegar. Therefore, such sauerkraut is recommended for children and the elderly, and the sick.
Beautiful red
And here is the original recipe for pickling cabbage. It turns out a rich pink color due to the addition of beets. To do this, shred the cabbage on the combine, and try to make the slices as large as possible. Also we take a head of cabbage weighing 3-4 kilograms and one beet, which we cut into thin slices. Then we lay the chopped cabbage in layers, alternating with beet slices. It is not necessary to ram up tightly. Lovers of pungency can add 5-6 cloves of garlic, pepper, bay leaf.
Then prepare the marinade. We will need: one and a half liters of water, a glass of 9 percent vinegar, half a glass of sugar and the same amount of salt. Boil the marinade for 5 minutes, set it aside and let cool slightly. Pour the cabbage with hot syrup, cover and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. During this time, cabbage is well saturated not only with marinade, but also with beetroot juice, and will acquire a beautiful rich pink color.
Now you know how to chop the cabbage properly, so it's time to master our recipes.