Learn how to cut cabbage the right way. From thin shreds to larger chops, cutting cabbage is easy when done correctly.
This website has been piling up quite a few cabbage recipes and I understand it can be a challenging vegetable to prepare for many home cooks. Whether you are making thin shreds for Homemade Coleslaw, larger chops for Haluski, or even looking to tackle making your own Homemade Fermented Sauerkraut, this guide has got you covered!
How to Cut Cabbage
Let’s cut to the chase. If you are looking for the quick and dirty explanation without having to scroll through an entire post, here is how you cut cabbage:
- Remove the outer leaves.
- Cut the head in half, cutting through the core.
- Lay cut side down and slice the cabbage halves into quarters, cutting through the core again.
- The core is now exposed in each wedge and can be cut out.
- Lay cut side down and slice thinly for slaw, or cut thicker for larger chops.
If you are a visual learner, I have the steps shown in more detail below with additional explanation.
How to prepare the cabbage
Most cabbages purchased at grocery stores still have the loose outer leaves on them (as seen above). These can be removed and discarded until only the tightly wrapped head of cabbage remains (as shown below).
How to Cut Cabbage into Wedges
The easiest way to cut cabbage is to cut it into wedges. This exposes the core so it can easily be removed and makes it a more accessible size for slicing. To begin, slice through the cabbage head, cutting through the stem, to give you two equal halves.
Lay the halves cut side down and cut in half again to make quarters. You now have wedges with the core exposed. Turn the wedges cut side up and slice out the core, cutting away from you.
How to cut cabbage into strips
If you are making coleslaw or sauerkraut you will want thinly sliced cabbage. There are two ways of doing this. Using your chef knife (affiliate link), place the wedges cut side down and take your time to slice into thin shreds.
Alternatively, the quicker and more effective method is to use a mandoline (affiliate link). A mandoline cuts quicker, more evenly, and thinner. You get perfect results every time, as shown in the photo below.
How to Chop Cabbage
Chopping cabbage is just like slicing or shredding cabbage, with just one additional step. Rather than thinly slicing the cabbage quarters, you will cut them into thick strips and then chop the strips into squares, as shown.
How to store cabbage
Cut cabbage should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight bag. It can be stored for up to a week, depending on how fresh it was when prepared. If left whole, a head of cabbage can stay fresh for up to two weeks in your crisper drawer. And actually in optimum root cellars, they can be stored for even longer!
How to Cut Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 whole cabbage
Instructions
- Remove the loose outer leaves from the cabbage head.
- Cut the head in half, cutting through the stem.
- Lay cut side down and slice the cabbage halves into quarters, cutting through the stem again.
- The core is now exposed in each wedge and can be cut out. To do so, lay the wedges cut side up and slice out the core, cutting away from you.
- Lay cut side down and slice thinly for slaw, or cut thicker for larger chops.
Notes
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Vicki says
Thanks so much for information, I’ve never seen anyone ever post it before!