The correct way to remove cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls

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

Feature of the dish

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

There are several secrets in selecting cabbage for a dish:

1. Take medium-sized heads of cabbage, preferably weighing 1-1.5 kg. Large leaves will have to be cut in half.
2. Light, slightly greenish cabbage breaks into leaves better.
3. Feel the head of cabbage: it should be quite loose.
4. Rinse the cabbage before separating.
5. Do not use spoiled vegetables.

According to housewives, the tastiest cabbage leaves are those taken from a raw head of cabbage and blanched separately. But this method of preparation is long and tedious. There are a couple of tips that will speed up the process without affecting the taste of the dish.

How to remove leaves for cabbage rolls: proven recommendations

Cabbage is cut after a little preparation.

How to remove leaves correctly, step by step instructions:

1. Take a head of cabbage and cut out the stalk with a sharp knife. To do this, immerse the blade on the side of the dense part and turn it in a circle. For convenience, you can divide the stalk in half.
2. After removing the stalk, it is easier to see the beginning of each leaf.
3. Boil water in a wide saucepan.
4. Immerse the peeled head of cabbage upside down in hot water, cover the container with a lid and leave for 1.5-2 minutes. We try not to overcook.
5. Then turn it over and hold it for another half a minute.
6. We prick the head of cabbage onto a fork (into the hole from the stalk), let the water drain and transfer it to a plate.
7. Now quickly remove the leaves one by one, picking them up with a spoon. It is convenient to leave the cabbage on the fork.
8. If the head of cabbage is large, then the middle and lower layers will have to be additionally heated in boiling water. After removal, it is recommended to scald the lower leaves again to reduce hardness.
9. The last point is to remove the thickened part in the center: we catch it with a knife blade and carefully cut it off. This way the sheet will easily curl and the cabbage roll will not lose its shape.

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

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

1. Wash the cabbage and wrap it in several layers of cling film, although it is better to place a small vegetable in a baking bag and tie it tightly.
2. Place in the microwave and heat at maximum power for 10 minutes.
3. The vegetable will steam under the film. Now cut off the stalk and remove the leaves in the manner described above.

Advice from purity-en.htgetrid.com magazine
You can warm up a head of cabbage in the microwave without film, but then you will have to make several passes, since the lower leaves will not have time to steam. Keep the head of cabbage for 2-3 minutes.

Another interesting method is radically different from the previous ones. Place the head of cabbage in the freezer for 12 hours. Once defrosted, the leaves will come off quickly.

Now your cabbage rolls will always be juicy, soft and appetizing.