Grandma Netta's Red Cabbage Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why add vinegar to red cabbage? ›

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.

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. Don't be too heavy-handed with red cabbage. A lot of its frumpy reputation comes from it being over-pickled or boiled for an eon.

Red and green cabbage can be used interchangeably in most recipes. The difference between cooking green cabbage and red cabbage is just one extra step. The compounds that give red cabbage its color, called anthocyanins, are water-soluble and will turn an unappetizing blue color when cooked.

Onions: Red cabbage and onions are a great combination, the onion adds a nice sweetness and a little bit of sharpness to the cabbage. Vinegar: Red cabbage is often paired with vinegar, which helps to bring out its natural sweetness and adds a nice tangy flavour.

The red cabbage liquid has a blue-violet color, but when it comes in contact with acidic substances it becomes red, while in contact with basic substances it becomes green and even yellow. Lemon juice being acidic turns red in contact with red cabbage juice.

Substances such as lemon juice and vinegar turn the cabbage juice red because they are acidic.

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.

The baking soda will turn the cabbage juice greenish-yellow because it is a base (sodium bicarbonate). Try This Use science vocabulary: Use related science words such as acids, bases, solution, chemistry and indicator as you talk and play together.

But red cabbage has higher levels of some types of antioxidants than other types of cabbage. These nutrients are thought to help reduce the risk of health conditions such as cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Red cabbage is particularly rich in anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoid.

Red cabbage can also be boiled. To preserve the crunch, cook in salted boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar for 5 minutes unless a softer consistency is desired in which case cook for a little longer.

How long does red cabbage take to cook? ›

Bring a large pan to medium high heat and add olive oil, red cabbage, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and cook ~ 50 minutes (for super soft cabbage), stirring occasionally so that nothing sticks or burns to the pan. OR cook ~ 20 minutes for medium soft cabbage.

Red cabbage is called “Rotkraut” or sometimes “Blaukraut” in German. It's generally not fermented into Sauerkraut but rather cooked or served raw (coleslaw). “Red cabbage is often used raw for salads and coleslaw . This vegetable can be eaten cooked.

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.

Nearly anything green cabbage can do, red (or purple) cabbage can do brighter and better. It's a little more peppery and heartier than its green counterparts, making it perfect in crunchy slaws or cooking techniques like braising and even roasting.

If you add vinegar it will stay the original color. The reddish pigment in the cabbage acts as a pH indicator like litmus paper. Your method of cooking is alkaline which isn't bad but would change the color of cabbage.

Red cabbage offers another bonus: It's rich in natural pigments called anthocyanins, which new research suggests may help boost insulin production and lower blood sugar levels. Finally, cabbage is often prepared with vinegar, which can help lower the GL of your whole meal.

I prefer to keep it simple – fresh lemon juice does the job just as well. Add a little salt and the two combine to help draw out some of the fluid and bitterness, making the cabbage slightly softer and easy one the palate.

The color of the cabbage indicator will change to red or pink if the solution is an acid and it will change to green or yellow if it is a base. It will remain purple or blue if the test solution is neutral.