There are many ways to cut cabbage. Some recipes, especially those that require the cabbage to be roasted or broiled, will require you to cut the cabbage into slices. All you have to do is choose the right cabbage, know how to cut it into slices, and use the correct technique to cut both round and long cabbage.
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Method 1 of 3: Before You Begin: Getting Started
Step 1. Choose a fresh head of cabbage
Fresh cabbage can be identified by the crispy leaves. Leaves of round varieties should be compact and tight, and only slightly loose for long varieties. Also, there should be no signs of browning, and the stems will look fresh instead of dry.
- Green cabbage is a round cabbage variety. The leaves should be compact and tightly together and the outside dark green. The inner leaves are pale green.
- Red cabbage is also a round cabbage variety, and the leaves should also be dense and tightly packed. The outer leaves are hard, and all leaves have a reddish-purple color.
- Savoy cabbage is also a variety of round cabbage, but the leaves are wrinkled and quite loose when compared to green and red cabbage. The leaves can be between dark green and light green.
- Napa cabbage is long and thin, with loose, pale green leaves.
Step 2. Use a stainless steel knife
Use a sharp stainless steel cooking knife with a smooth and sturdy blade.
Use only stainless steel blades. Do not use knives made of other metals, as the natural chemicals in cabbage can react with other metals. As a result, the cabbage or knife may turn black
Step 3. Keep the cutting board steady
Place a damp paper towel between the cutting board and the table to prevent the cutting board from shifting.
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Soak a tissue in water and squeeze out the excess water. This creates tension on the paper towels to prevent the cutting board from shifting.
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But don't let the tissue stay wet, because soaking the tissue will make it slippery.
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Note that wipes may not be needed if you are using a non-slip silicone cutting mat.
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Step 4. Clean the work area and all equipment
Make sure your hands, knife, and cutting board are clean before you begin.
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Use warm water and soap to clean your hands and any utensils used to chop cabbage.
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Rinse the knife and cutting board with clean water to remove all soap residue. Wipe dry with a clean, dry tissue.
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Don't clean the cabbage first. Cabbage should be rinsed after cutting, not before.
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Method 2 of 3: Cutting Cabbage Round
Step 1. Find out if your cabbage belongs to the round variety
Round cabbage has tightly packed leaves, and is round in shape. Common varieties of this cabbage include green cabbage, red cabbage, and Savoy cabbage.
Step 2. Remove the outer leaves
Use your hands to remove any tough or damaged outer leaves from the cabbage heads.
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Round cabbage heads with dense leaves have thick outer leaves. Even if the leaves are in good condition, you should still remove them before cutting the cabbage, as these leaves tend to be tough and unattractive. This is especially true if you plan to eat cabbage raw.
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Any wilted or discolored parts should also be removed.
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Step 3. Cut two heads of cabbage
Position the head of cabbage at the end of the core, and divide it in half lengthwise from the top center straight down and through the core.
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After you open the cabbage and suspect that worms or insects have damaged the inside, you can still use the cabbage. However, you should soak the cabbage in the brine for 20 minutes before proceeding.
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Step 4. Cut both halves into four pieces
Position each piece face down and then cut lengthwise once again into two halves, making four pieces.
You can stop here, but the cabbage slices may still be too wide to use in many recipes
Step 5. Remove only the stems of the cabbage
Turn the four cabbage pieces upside down. Cut the wedges at the bottom into the core of each slice. But only cut that part of the core, not all of it.
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Keeping part of the core connected to the leaf will make it easier to keep the leaf layers in each core attached. If you completely cut off the core, the leaves tend to fall off. The cabbage is still edible, but the slices will crumble.
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While looking at the core, cut a triangular wedge to the top of the core but not through it. Cut into large slices while leaving a thin layer.
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If you're worried about cutting too much, you can also leave the core intact. The core of the cabbage is tougher than the leaves, but becomes soft and edible after cooking.
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Step 6. Cut into eight pieces, if desired
If you want smaller slices, position all four pieces face down, then divide in half lengthwise, from the top edge through the rest of the bottom core.
The size of this cabbage is usually the preferred one. If you cut the slices into smaller pieces, the cabbage may break
Step 7. Wash the cabbage
Gently rinse each cabbage slice under cold running water. Drain dry on a clean tissue.
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The inside of the cabbage is usually clean, but you should still rinse it under running water to be on the safe side.
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Hold the cabbage slices over a colander in case the leaves fall off and fall under running water. The filter will catch the leaves but still allow water to pass through.
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Cabbage leaves do not need to be scrubbed when cleaning.
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To dry the cabbage slices, lay all the slices on several layers of dry paper towels for a few minutes. Excess water will fall off on its own.
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Method 3 of 3: Chopping Cabbage Long and Thin
Step 1. Find out if your cabbage belongs to this variety
Long cabbage has slightly loose leaves and is somewhat shaped like a stem. The most common varieties are for example napa cabbage..
Step 2. Remove the outer leaves
Use your hands to peel off the damaged leaves on top of the cabbage head.
Long head cabbage with loose leaves has less thick outer leaves than round head cabbage. This way, you only need to remove wilted, discolored, or damaged leaves
Step 3. Divide the cabbage heads lengthwise
Place the head of cabbage on the side, and divide in half lengthwise from the top of the head through the core.
You don't need to remove the core when cutting long cabbage. In fact, it's actually beneficial if the slices still have a core. The core will hold the leaves together, meaning that the slices will also remain intact
Step 4. Cut each half in half
Turn the two halves over so the cut side is facing the cutting board. Cut two more slices lengthwise, so that they become quarters.
Because of the long, skinny shape of the cabbage, cutting slices thinner than this can cause the leaves to detach from the core
Step 5. Cut the cabbage crosswise, if desired
You can stop after cutting the cabbage into quarters, but if the strips are too long, cut the four halves crosswise to halve the length of each slice.
However, it's worth noting that any slices that don't stick to the core are more likely to come loose, though of course the cabbage is still edible if the slices crumble
Step 6. Rinse the cabbage
Gently rinse each cabbage slice under cold running water. Drain the cabbage on a clean layer of paper towels.
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Although the inside of the cabbage is usually clean, you should still rinse it under running water to be safe.
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Hold the cabbage slices over a colander in case the leaves fall off and fall under running water. The filter will catch the leaves but still allow water to pass through.
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Cabbage leaves do not need to be scrubbed when cleaning.
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To dry the cabbage slices, place all the slices on several layers of dry paper towels for a few minutes. Excess water will fall off on its own.
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Tips
- If you want to save the cabbage after it has been cut, rub the surface of the chopped cabbage with a squeeze of lemon to prevent it from turning discolored.
- Chop the cabbage only if you want to use it. After the head of cabbage is cut, the vitamin C content in it will decrease a little quickly. Thus, the only way to get optimal nutrition from cabbage heads is to use them as quickly as possible.
- Store whole cabbage in the refrigerator. Whole green and red cabbage can last for two weeks, while whole savoy cabbage can last for one week. After cutting, cabbage should be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, refrigerated, and used within a few days.
Things You Need
- Cabbage
- Cutting board
- Tissue
- Water
- Soap
- Stainless steel knife
- Filter
