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Microwaving Cabbage

Avoid a stovetop mess—microwaving softens tough cabbage leaves, allowing them to be easily removed.

Avoid a stovetop mess—microwaving softens tough cabbage leaves, allowing them to be easily removed.

Removing leaves from a tightly packed head of cabbage is no easy feat. The most common method is to float the whole head in a vat of boiling water—a messy, cumbersome project with mixed results at best. We found the microwave a much better tool. Microwaving makes the cabbage leaves soft and pliable, not soggy and overcooked. To prepare the cabbage, cut out the core, place the head in a large, microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic, and cook on high power until the leaves become pliable and can be easily removed.

MICROWAVE, DON'T BOIL

Microwaving the cored head of cabbage wilts the outer leaves, allowing them to be easily removed.

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