Cabbage is a very popular vegetable. You can use it for your salads, tacos, soups, and stews. Thus, it’s something you can easily toss to your dishes to make more servings! Just remember that when cooking cabbage, the key to a sumptuous meal is to cook the cabbage quickly.
It would be best to cook it in 5 minutes or less. Thus, it’s usually the last ingredient to add to your pot. This will help avoid the cabbage smell and flavor that can dominate your dish.
Cabbage has sulfur-containing compounds that when cooked, releases the gas hydrogen sulfide, which is not a pleasant smell. Overcooked cabbage will smell like rotten eggs and this smell doubles after 15 to 17 minutes of cooking. So by cooking it in less than 5 minutes, you’ll be able to avoid that rotten smell. Let’s take a look at other tips on how to cook cabbage.
Tip #1: If you cut your cabbage into smaller pieces, the less time you’ll need to cook it. So if you have quartered your cabbage, cook it for about 5 minutes. If you chopped it into smaller pieces, make sure to cook it for about 2 to 3 minutes only.
Tip #2: If you are stir-frying your cabbage, make sure to shred it coarsely. Just heat your pan over high heat and once hot, add oil to coat. Once your oil is hot, add your shredded cabbage as you quickly stir it for about 2 to 5 minutes. After that, remove it from heat.
Tip #3: When boiling the cabbage is what you have in mind, it’s best to slice your cabbage thinly into wedges. Once your water or liquid boils, you may add the wedges of cabbage. If you need to boil the whole head of cabbage, make sure that you boil it for 5 minutes. After that, drain the water and replace with fresh boiling water for another 5 minutes.
Tip #4: If you plan on steaming your cabbage, you may quarter your cabbage and let it steam for about 10 to 20 minutes until done. If you want to steam the full head of cabbage, it will take about 30 minutes to cook.
Tip #5: Braising cabbage can also be done with a heavy-bottomed pan. Just add butter and a bit of water before adding your cabbage to the pan.
Tip #6: Remember, when cooking cabbage in any method you like, make sure to just cook it until its tender enough. Don’t overcook the cabbage to avoid the bad smell and to retail the crunchy texture as well. At the same time, it will be mild and sweet if not over cooked. Overcooked cabbage will turn pasty and limp. Not only that but it will lose most of its nutrients if overcooked.