Do you always find shredding cabbage a difficult task? If so, you may not know how easy this task is.
I have seen many people struggling to shred the cabbage. Their knife keeps slipping, or they end up with uneven and long pieces of cabbage.
Now, if you’re facing the same problem, I got you! Today, I will teach you the best way to shred cabbage in minutes and how to use different kitchen tools according to your convenience.
So, no more purchasing a bag of shredded cabbage from the supermarket. You will be able to wash, prep, cut, and shred your cabbage in less than 5 minutes. And the fresh ingredients will make your recipes like stir-fries, coleslaw, and soups much more delicious than before.
Let’s start by preparing our cabbage.
How to Prepare Your Cabbage for Shredding? Step By Step
Before shredding cabbage, you need to follow the below-mentioned prepping steps first.
1. Rinse the cabbage
Wash your cabbage under running cold water to remove any dirt. And then pat the outside dry.
2. Pull off the damaged outer leaves
The external leaves of the cabbage tend to get damaged. So, you need to pull off and throw away all the wilted, discolored, and damaged leaves from the outside.
As you move inward, the head of the cabbage should get fresher. After pulling the damaged leaves, if you notice any dirt, you may give it another rinse to remove those. And then pat it dry.
3. Cut the dry stem
Now, place the cabbage on top of a cutting board. Take a knife and cut the dry core end to remove dirt or anything that might be on it.
4. Cut through the core
Place the cabbage with the core end facing you and then cut through the core vertically in half using a chef’s knife. If you are using a large cabbage, cut it into quarters. Now, you have four wedges.
5. Finally, remove the hard core of the cabbage
Take one piece of cabbage and position it on the cutting board with one of the cut sides down. Make an angled cut with a knife to remove the core. Repeat this with the other three slices.
Many people prefer cutting the solid core after slicing the cabbage in half. In that case, you need to make 2 diagonal cuts towards the center. You can follow either method as the end result is the same.
Okay, now our cabbage is ready to be shredded.
Easy & Quick Way to Shred Cabbage with Different Kitchen Tools
There are several kitchen gadgets that are suitable for shredding cabbage. You may choose any of the tools I will mention from here based on your ease.
Using A Chef’s Knife
Indeed one of the best ways to shred cabbage by hand is using a chef’s knife. It’s easy to use and always available in the kitchen. Also, when you use a knife, you have full control over the thickness of the shred, unlike other tools. Whether you want the cabbage long, short, or finely chopped, a knife is the best choice.
By the way, make sure to use a sharp knife as it requires much less pressure to cut, which reduces the likelihood of slipping and injuring other things or yourself.
Anyway, follow the steps below to shred the four pieces of cabbage you prepared.
Step 1
Take a wedge and place its flat side up against the board. You can slice vertically or horizontally, whichever you prefer. Cutting the wedge horizontally will give you shorter shreds, and vertically will provide you with longer shreds.
Start slicing the cabbage into thin stripes as far across the wedge as possible before the remaining wedge gets too small to handle.
Step 2
Now, turn the wedge’s unshredded side to be stable and flat against the board. And then, continue slicing until you shred the whole wedge.
Step 3
If you have shredded the stripes vertically, then cut the shreds in half horizontally to make them shorter.
Step 4
One last time, slice vertically through the shreds to make them thinner. Place the shreds in a bowl. Repeat the same procedure for the remaining wedges.
Note: The shreds should have a thickness of between 1/4 and 1/8 inches, depending on your preference.
The cabbage shreds you will get by using a knife are definitely gonna come out the best. But, if you are not good at handling knives or are a beginner in the kitchen, then you will definitely struggle to cut the cabbage in even shreds. So, what’s the solution?
Well, in that case, my next tool can be your best friend!
Shredding With A Mandolin
Are you struggling to shred cabbage in uniform and fine pieces? This is your way out.
Using a mandolin is undoubtedly the best way to shred cabbage without much effort. You will be able to get the uniform long shreds, and it’s also less time-consuming compared to the knife.
Alright, now follow the steps to learn how to shred cabbage with a mandolin.
Step 1
First of all, set the thickness of the mandolin as per your preference. Take a quarter piece of cabbage and put the flat side on the mandolin. Place the guard on top of the cabbage and push it through the blade until you shred the entire wedge.
Step 2
Shred the other 3 wedges following step 1.
Note: Make sure to protect your fingers while using a mandolin. You may wear a cut-resistant glove for utmost safety.
Now here is an important thing to note. If you wonder, what is the best way to shred cabbage for coleslaw, then here is your answer.
For the coleslaw, you need finely textured cabbage pieces. And that only can be achieved with either a knife or a mandolin. So, try to use either of these methods. The other techniques are also satisfactory, but these are the best.
Now, if you are not good with a knife and also don’t have a mandolin, there is another tool that can help you out. And that is a vegetable peeler. Although it will take a bit longer to shred cabbage with a peeler, you can still have fine shreds for your coleslaw.
So, without any further ado, let’s move on to learn how to shred cabbage with a vegetable peeler.
Utilizing A Vegetable Peeler
Take a Y-shape vegetable peeler for this method and then follow the steps below.
Step 1
Start slicing each cabbage quarter into tiny shreds by peeling the flat surfaces.
Step 2
Once the quarters are too small to be peeled, use a knife to shred the rest of the cabbage.
Okay, the upcoming tool I will describe is not the ideal option for shredding cabbage for coleslaw. Instead, you will have finely grated cabbage with it.
With A Box Grater
If you want to make some delicious snacks like cabbage patties, using a box grater is the best way to have the minced texture. So, here is what you need to do.
Take your box grater and set it on the side with large holes. Now, place the cabbage quarter on its flat side against the holes with your hand, then slide it down firmly. This will give you a very fine shred of cabbage.
And be careful to keep your fingers away from the grater’s holes.
Shredding Cabbage in A Food Processor
Have you ever tried to use your food processor for shredding cabbage?
If not, then try this out with us today. You will be surprised by the outcome!
Typically, food processors come with a shredder or slicer disc attachment that sits on top of the bowl. When you put the cabbage through the feed tube, it goes through the shredder disc and creates a uniform size for your shredded cabbage.
Okay, let’s get into the procedure.
Step 1: Prepare The Food Processor
Attach your food processor’s shredder/slicer disc to the top of the drive adapter, lock it into place, and then secure the lid. To shred cabbage, ensure the disc’s shredding side is facing up.
Step 2: Cut The Cabbage to Fit in The Feed Tube
If your cabbage quarter is too big, cut them small enough to fit in the feed tube.
Step 3: Start Shredding
Set the speed of the food processor to your preference, and then place the cabbage into the feed tube. Use the food pusher on your food processor to push the cabbage toward the disc. And within minutes, you will have freshly shredded cabbage to use in your favorite recipes.
Alright, here comes our last tool, which is a blender.
Using A Blender
Shredding cabbage with a blender is not a typical scenario. But it’s actually a great way to get your job done.
However, not every type of blender is suitable for chopping cabbage. I personally use the Ninja Ultimate blender, which comes with a shredding disc attachment. It’s a perfect blender to shred and chop. So, now I will explain how to use it to shred your cabbage.
Step 1
Add the adapter to the bottom of the processor bowl and then insert the shredding disc. Next, attach and lock the feed lid. Be sure that your Ninja blender container is locked properly to the base, or it will blink red and won’t start. Then, set your dial to the dough disc setting.
Step 2
Turn on your blender, put a piece of cabbage through the feeding chute, and push it inside with the feeder. Shred the rest of the wedges one by one.
If your blender doesn’t come with a disc attachment, follow the instructions below.
Step 1
Simply put your cabbage pieces in the blender container. It will be better if you pull out the leaves from the wedge and then place them in the blender. Attach the lid.
Step 2
Turn on your blender at low speed. If your blender has a pulse button, you may use that too. Observe not to blend the cabbage way too much. Stop when they reach your desired texture.
Note: Many people suggest adding water to cabbage while blending. But this will give you a mushy consistency, which I don’t prefer. Your blender will still chop the cabbage if you don’t add water.
Alright, I have discussed all the techniques to shred your cabbage. Still, there are some essential facts and tips that you need to note down.
Notes & Tips About Shredding Cabbage
How many cups of shredded cabbage in a head and some other safety measures need to be known. So, here are some information and tips.
- One medium head of cabbage makes around 8 cups of shredded cabbage.
- Never work with a dull knife. A sharp chef’s knife is the key to cooking and preventing injuries. But it’s especially crucial for leafy vegetables or herbs because when you try to pressure a dull knife, the leaves might bruise at the edges. And also, there is a risk of slipping and cutting your hand.
- Make sure your cutting board is stabilized. If the cutting board has a tendency to slip, lay a damp dish towel or paper towel between the board and the countertop to keep it from moving.
- Take the other shortcut if you are not good at controlling the knife. Mandolin, food processor or grater with large holes will give you extra fine, evenly shredded cabbage.
- Consider including cabbage in your wintertime dishes while it is at its best. It is one of the few vegetables that are in season from late October to early spring.
- If you want to shred cabbage and keep it to use later, you may prepare it ahead of time. You can keep shredded cabbage in an airtight ziplock bag or reusable silicone bag in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- But cabbage can turn brown pretty quickly. Hence, if you are concerned about that, I will recommend you improve your cabbage storage knowledge and follow my tips in the next segment.
How to Store Shredded Cabbage? Keep It Fresh!
The best way to keep shredded cabbage fresh and green is by placing it in a bowl and squeezing lemon juice over it. Apply the juice to the cabbage with your hands, then seal the bowl with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
The acid in the lemon juice will prevent the processes that cause the cabbage to turn brown, and the plastic wrap will keep it away from oxygen. Typically, you can keep it like this for a couple of days.
But, if you want to freeze your cabbage for longer, you have to blanch it.
Blanching the cabbage before freezing destroys any leftover bacteria in the leaves and halts the enzymatic process that causes the leaves to ripen and eventually deteriorate. The beautiful color and freshness of cabbage are also preserved by blanching, even after freezing and thawing.
The process is also easy. Take a large pot of water, place it over a burner and bring it to a boil. Then, add your cabbage and briefly cook it. Leaves and stripes will take about 90 seconds, and wedges need around 3 minutes. Next, give the cooked cabbage an ice bath and drain it in a strainer.
Shake off any excess water and pat cabbage dry as needed to ensure it is as dry as possible in order to prevent freezer burn. After that, place them in a freezer bag and push out the air inside as much as possible. Then, put it inside your freezer.
Typically, you can freeze blanched cabbage for up to nine months.
Shredded Cabbage Style for Different Recipes
How you will shred your cabbage depends on the recipe you will make.
For example, if you are going to make sauerkraut, it’s suggested to cut it between a thickness of ¼ to 1/8 inch. Anything thicker than that will be overly chunky. On the other hand, the shreds will lose their texture if you cut them much thinner.
Now, for the corned beef, you must cut the cabbage thicker than slaw or sauerkraut. Consequently, it is recommended to cut the cabbage into wedges. Cut the wedges in half widthwise if these parts are still too big.
Another popular dish that comes with shredded cabbage as a side is Japanese tonkatsu. This dish requires julienned cabbage. So, try to use a knife or mandolin to get the desired thickness.
As there are different kinds of cabbage available, understanding which one is the right one for your dish can be complicated. That’s why I arranged a segment to help you in this regard.
Varieties of Cabbage And The Dishes They Are Best to Use in
There are around 400 different types of cabbage available worldwide. And here I will tell you which ones are popular and used in which dishes.
1. Green Cabbage (Cannonball)
It is the most common variety available in stores. When eaten raw, it offers a subtle, peppery flavor that mellows out even more when cooked into a dish. It works nicely in a wide variety of dishes, including coleslaw, soups, stir-fries, grilling, and braising. Also, if you wanna make air fry shredded cabbage, you can use this as well as the next one which is red cabbage.
2. Red Cabbage
With the exception of its unique red color, it tastes and is used very similarly to green cabbage. However, the color of the cabbage may leak out or alter when cooked, affecting how the dish turns out. Therefore, people love to use it in salad type recipes mostly.
3. Savoy Cabbage
Although it has a round shape like green and red cabbage, it contains far more leafy greens that are less crisp than those found in other kinds. And that’s why it’s recommended to use savoy cabbage for meals where you will cook it.
4. Napa Cabbage
Napa cabbage, which is also known as Chinese cabbage, is distinctively oblong and resembles a head of romaine lettuce in shape. Napa cabbage is a great option for shredded cabbage recipes that can be prepared either fresh or cooked because of its mild, sweet flavor and soft leaves. This cabbage got wide recognition for being used in kimchi.
5. Bok Choy
Bok choy is also famous for being used in kimchi recipes. It has a long, octagonal shape with a crisp texture and mild, almost mustard green-like flavor. Bok choy is widely popular in Chinese cooking and is strongly advised for recipes where it will be cooked.
6. Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are small cabbage and are a powerhouse of nutrients. Although some recipes call for raw brussels sprouts, cooking them is typically advised due to their bitter flavor and risk for digestive problems.
Anyway, it’s time to conclude this topic as there is nothing more to add.
Closing Words
One of the best things about cabbage is that you can enjoy them both cooked or raw in a wide range of recipes. So, if you only hesitated to use them because you didn’t know how to cut them, I hope you now know the best way to shred cabbage with our little help.
With effort, you can achieve trader joe’s shredded cabbage-like finish. Now, without wasting any time, go to your kitchen, put on your apron, and try to shred your cabbage following any methods I described.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you wash cabbage after shredding?
Usually, there is no need to wash the shredded cabbage if you have already washed it before cutting. But if you didn’t, you must wash the shreds under running water.
How to remove cabbage worms before shredding them?
You can easily get rid of cabbage worms by soaking the leaves or heads in water for 5 to 10 minutes. Caterpillars will perish and sink to the bottom when you drown the cabbage. But make sure everything is totally submerged to prevent caterpillars from climbing on top or hiding in air pockets.
