With the onset of cold weather, it is especially pleasant to pamper yourself with domestic preparations. Salted and pickled vegetables and ready-made salads are pleasing to the eye and taste buds, and the central place in this winter vegetable festival is sour cabbage - snack is not only delicious, but also extremely useful. But its appearance on the table is preceded by a laborious and unloved by many owners the process of preparation, or rather - cutting cabbage.
Shredding cabbage - it's expensive and requires some skill. In order to make it a thin straw, you need to master the shredder technique with a knife - the usual kitchen or special.
How to chop cabbage with a knife?
If you do not have a special knife for cabbage, the usual - large and well sharpened. When using a kitchen knife, remember one small secret - the cabbage head should be cut not along the head, but across. It is at the top are the thinnest leaves that are suitable for pickling. The second part can be left for extinguishing or borscht.
When slicing the main thing - to keep the knife and, of course, the fingers. But, in principle, everything is simple: when cutting, the tip of the knife does not come off the surface of the board, and its blade makes a circular motion along the vertical. You can choose one of the convenient directions:
- the knife moves evenly forward and downward, thus cutting and returning to the starting position;
- the knife moves from itself and downwards, and then back - on itself and upwards.
Correctly to hold the knife you need this way: the thumb lies along the handle, the index grips it from above, and the others only slightly press the handle to the palm. At first, this capture may seem inconvenient, but eventually you get used to it.
But, of course, for your own convenience it is better to buy a special knife for shredding cabbage. This simple, as well as all ingenious, adaptation becomes simply an indispensable assistant in the kitchen.
What is a cutting knife for cabbage?
Shredding knife for cabbage is a plastic or wooden base with a handle, to which are attached a few sharp enough steel blades located at an angle. This design makes it absolutely safe to use - it's just impossible to cut yourself by accident. There are also completely steel shredders.
How to shred a cabbage with a special knife?
If you see it for the first time, then the question is quite natural: "How to use a cabbage knife?" Shrinking cabbage with a special device is much easier than a conventional knife. It is necessary to cut the head out, as conveniently, you can even along the stump and carry out reciprocating movements with a knife in the direction forward and down, and then return it to its original position. A small detail - to cut cabbage better across the fibers, then they will lose less juice, which is so necessary for salting.
Alternatives to a knife for cutting cabbage
Technological progress does not stand still and the technique is being perfected in order to turn the process of cooking into pleasure and to minimize the time spent by a woman in the kitchen. Therefore, if you are forced to shred cabbage in large quantities, you should consider more productive devices:
- cabbage shredder - a mechanical device consisting of a wooden or plastic board with blades,
located at an angle. The principle of cutting is the same as with the grater, the main thing is to protect your fingers; - electric meat grinder - at first glance, the idea of using a meat grinder for cabbage shredding is absurd, but such an opportunity becomes a pleasant bonus for owners of modern models. They are equipped with special nozzles for cutting vegetables, among them a knife for cabbage;
- food processor with knives for vegetables - very easy to use - a piece of cabbage is placed in a bowl with knives and less than a minute from it you can take carefully cut slices.