German Red Cabbage Recipe - No Ordinary Homestead (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook red cabbage without losing color? ›

When cooked in an alkaline liquid like water, red cabbage turns blue. Adding vinegar, lemon juice, or another acid helps the cabbage to retain its red-purple color. Vinegar is also a bright flavor complement to the bold, earthy taste of the cabbage.

Red cabbage is packed with a ton of health benefits. For starters, it's very low in fat and carbohydrates and high in fiber. Cabbage also contains about 80% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin K.

Red cabbage is usually cooked a bit longer than green cabbage; it takes longer to become tender. In addition, either vinegar or lemon juice is often added to red cabbage.

Sweet and sour red cabbage is a perfect side dish for sausages, pork chops, schnitzel or German pork burgers. This braised cabbage also pairs well with roast chicken, duck, and roast beef.

Lock in the colour by adding a touch of vinegar when cooking red cabbage in water. This stops the lovely deep purple hue from running.

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).

Purple cabbage is a nutrient-rich vegetable linked to a variety of health benefits, including reduced inflammation, a healthier heart, stronger bones, improved gut function, and maybe a lower risk of certain cancers. Purple cabbage, also referred to as red cabbage, belongs to the Brassica genus of plants.

Diets high in anthocyanins, like those found in red cabbage, are linked with lower blood pressure. They're also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease.

Being rich in compounds like sulforaphane and anthocyanins, red cabbage is certainly one vegetable to add to your diet. These beneficial compounds appear to prevent oxidative damage and possibly act in protective way against cancer, including colorectal cancer.

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.

What is healthier, red cabbage or green cabbage? ›

While both green and red cabbage are excellent sources of this potent antioxidant, red cabbage contains significantly more ( 2 , 22 ). One cup (89 g) of chopped red cabbage packs in 56% of the recommended intake for vitamin C, which is the same amount found in a small orange ( 22 , 23 ).

Steaming is an indirect cooking process which means delicate ingredients can be gently cooked to retain their flavour and nutrients. The benefit of steaming cabbage is that it doesn't produce the unpleasant smell associated with boiled cabbage.

It's delicious raw, steamed, sauteed, and fermented. It retains the most nutrients when it's eaten raw, but is still highly nutritious when cooked.

Red cabbage's firm texture makes it great for slaws and salads where it won't wilt under a dressing. It's also great braised, steamed, stir-fried, stuffed or made into sauerkraut. Most of these recipes use less than a head of cabbage or can easily be adapted to use whatever amount of cabbage you have.

Both red and green cabbage is fine for dogs to eat, though red cabbage contains more vitamins and minerals than the green variety. However, all types of cabbage are safe for dogs to eat and can be a good nutrient-dense addition to their well-balanced dog food diet.

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.

Before cooking, remove any tired or discoloured leaves and always cook red cabbage with a little vinegar. This preserves the beautiful purple colour – without it, the cabbage will turn blue!

Adding acid

One of the easiest ways to keep your red cabbage from turning blue when you cook it is to control its acidity level. Delishably says that by adding a bit of a mild acid like lemon juice, you can slightly boost the acidity of the vibrant vegetable.

– Don't wash the cabbage until you are ready to use it. – Place your cabbage in the crisper drawer and/or in a large plastic storage bag to hold in its natural moisture. – Don't cut it, ideally. When you cut a cabbage, it can start to brown and lose moisture much faster than a whole head.