The right way to remove cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls

How to separate cabbage leaves for stuffed cabbage? This dish is not as easy to prepare as it might seem at first glance. Learn the secrets of removing cabbage leaf with us.

Dish feature

Tasty and rich cabbage rolls with soft, boiled cabbage leaves, which at the same time hold the filling tightly, is a sign of the hostess's high skill.

There are several secrets in choosing cabbage for a dish:

1. Take a head of medium size, best weighing 1-1.5 kg. Large leaves have to be cut in half.
2. Light, slightly green cabbage is better broken into leaves.
3. Feel the head of cabbage: it should be quite loose.
4. Rinse the cabbage before dividing.
5. Do not use spoiled vegetables.

According to the hostesses, the most delicious are the leaves of cabbage rolls, taken from a raw head of cabbage and blanched separately. But this way of cooking is long and annoying. There are a couple of tips that will speed up the process, while this will not affect the taste of the dish.

How to remove leaves for stuffed cabbage: proven recommendations

Cutting cabbage is carried out after a little preparation.

How to remove leaves correctly, instructions step by step:

1. Take a head of cabbage and use a sharp knife to cut out the stump. To do this, immerse the blade on the side of the dense part and rotate in a circle. For convenience, you can divide the stump in half.
2. After removing the stump, it is easier to see the beginning of each leaf.
3. Boil water in a wide pan.
4. We immerse the cleaned head of cabbage in hot water with the bottom down, cover the container with a lid and leave for 1.5–2 minutes. We try not to digest.
5. Then turn over and hold for another half a minute.
6. We pierce a head of cabbage on a fork (in the hole from the stump), let it drain water and transfer it to a plate.
7. Now quickly remove the leaves one at a time, picking them up with a spoon. It is convenient to leave cabbage on a fork.
8. If the head is large, then the middle and lower layers will have to be additionally heated in boiling water. After removal, it is recommended that the lower leaves be scalded again to reduce stiffness.
9. The last point - remove the thickened part in the center: we catch it with a knife blade and carefully cut it off. So the sheet will fold easily and the cabbage roll will not lose shape.

Tip
Does cabbage tear when wrapping the filling? Add a pinch of citric acid to the water: it will help keep the boiled leaf whole.

Heating is needed so that the cabbage head is easily divided into sheets. Instead of water, try heating the cabbage in the microwave:

1. Rinse the cabbage and wrap it with cling film in several layers, although it is better to place a small vegetable in a baking bag and dress it tightly.
2. Place in the microwave and warm at maximum power for 10 minutes.
3. Under the film, the vegetable is steamed. Now cut the stalk and remove the leaves in the manner described above.

Advice from purity.bigbadmole.com/en/
You can warm the heads in the microwave without a film, but then you will have to make several visits, since the lower leaves will not have time to steam. Keep head out for 2-3 minutes.

Another interesting way is fundamentally different from the previous ones. Send the cabbage to the freezer for 12 hours. After defrosting, the leaves will quickly peel off.

Now your cabbage rolls will always be juicy, soft and mouth-watering.