Fried Cabbage With Bacon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put baking soda in cabbage? ›

Adding baking soda to your boiling cabbage can help reduce the objectionable smell and maintain the green color long after when it typically turns grayish from cooking for too long. However, this may rid the cabbage of its nutritional value.

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.

**Steaming**: Steaming cabbage preserves most of its nutrients and helps maintain its texture. Steam the cabbage until it is tender but still slightly crisp, usually for about 5-7 minutes. 2. **Sautéing**: Sautéing cabbage in a little oil over medium heat cooks it quickly while retaining its nutrients and flavor.

Slice cabbage across the grain into thin shreds. If necessary, wash it quickly in cold water. About 20 minutes before the end of cooking the bacon, add shredded cabbage to the pot of simmering bacon.

Experiment with sweet spices. A few whole cloves added to the boiling water forcabbage impart a delicately complementary flavor and aroma and may help to prevent gas during digestion. Other sweet spices that may be carminative include allspice, cinnamon and ginger.

To ferment vegetables, such as cabbage, we take advantage of these two qualities – it's our golden ticket to fermentation! First, we add enough salt to make it difficult for competing microorganisms to survive. The salt then draws moisture out of the cabbage's cells through osmosis, forming a salty brine.

The solution: Some recipes call for soaking cabbage in ice water to make it crisp and plump.

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.

The salt will draw out excess water from cabbage while helping preserve the crispiness. After letting it sit for an hour or two, rinse it with water to remove the salt. Drain and dry the cabbage with paper towels, gently pressing to release excess water. Repeat with more paper towels as the water is absorbed.

Can you overcook cabbage? ›

The key to cooking cabbage: Don't overcook it.

Cabbage is sweet and aromatic when cooked correctly. But the same sulfuric compounds that provide many of its health benefits can turn saboteur when overcooked, creating a pungent, unpleasant smell.

Steaming is a gentle cooking method that helps retain the cabbage's crispiness and nutrients. To steam cabbage, place it in a steamer basket over simmering water and cover with a lid. Steam until it's tender yet still slightly crunchy. If you plan to sauté or stir-fry cabbage, consider blanching it first.

When plant cells are broken, the oils are separated from the sugar molecules by an enzyme and released as a very bitter compound. It's a clever defense mechanism for the cabbage plant to discourage hungry foragers.

Cabbage and onions contain sulfur-based compounds and enzymes that are kept apart — and nonreactive — in separate cells when the plants are whole. But when you cut the vegetables, the compounds and enzymes mix, creating pungent, bitter and foul-smelling compounds that repel insects (and people!).

Dice the cabbage into bite-sized pieces for stir-frys.

Cut the quartered cabbage into wide strips. Turn your knife and cut across the strips to break them down into pieces that are small enough to eat in one bite. The smaller the pieces of cabbage, the less time it will take for them to cook through.

Should you shred cabbage with a knife or mandolin? Using a mandolin is undoubtedly a better choice, as the pieces will all be uniform, and usually much finer than you can do by hand. However, a knife can work too. Make sure to place each quarter on a flat side so it's steady as you cut.