White cabbage is a unique product. It is grown practically throughout Russia and abroad. It is rich in fiber, low in calories, has a lot of useful properties and is perfectly kept fresh for a long time. In sauerkraut, the beneficial properties of cabbage are not lost, but, on the contrary, are enhanced. This is the best antioxidant and remedy for vitamin deficiency.
Properties of white cabbage and its composition
As part of this vegetable you can find:
- potassium salts;
- enzyme;
- phosphorus;
- glucose;
- manganese;
- B vitamins;
- vitamin C;
- iron;
- vitamin P;
- fructose;
- folic acid;
- methylmethionine and much more.
White cabbage has a wide range of useful properties in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal diseases. Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties are known. So, fresh cabbage leaves, smeared with honey, are applied as compresses, they help with chronic bronchitis and pneumonia.
The ability of cabbage to regulate metabolism and remove harmful cholesterol makes this vegetable truly invaluable for patients with ischemia, atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system. It has a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa and helps to remove excess fluid from the body. Fresh cabbage juice is taken to stimulate the digestive tract.
Along with the benefits, cabbage can cause some inconvenience, and sometimes harm the body. So, with increased acidity, it should not be consumed at all. She should not get carried away with colitis and gastritis. Cabbage, especially when raw, predisposes to bloating. Therefore, with myocardial infarction and intestinal upset, it should be excluded from the diet.
At the same time, this vegetable protects the stomach from irritation and ulceration. Therefore, you should not completely neglect the product, but it is necessary to use it partially boiled, stewed and fresh, but not during an exacerbation of the disease.
Secrets of Cooking Cabbage
While boiling the cabbage, the pot should be covered and the dish should be cooked over moderate heat, not allowing it to boil too much. The vegetable should not be immersed in cold water, but only in boiling and pre-salted water. Young white cabbage in soups is boiled for 15 to 20 minutes. Large, ripe heads of cabbage - 35-40 minutes.
During the preparation of any dish, the larger the cabbage is cut, the less it loses nutrients. At the same time, finely chopped salad will be softer and tastier if, after cutting, it is thoroughly mash with your hands along with salt and herbs. The juice formed in the process should be drained.
When boiling or stewing, cabbage gives off a not very pleasant smell. It can be eliminated by adding bay leaves, some lemon zest, or a piece of nutmeg to the dish. Dill oil, ginger and some aromatic herbs have the same property. Using them when cooking cabbage, you will not only eliminate the unpleasant smell, but also give the dish a special flavor.
Fried cabbage is good for pie filling, especially with onions and mushrooms. Also, this dish can be used as an independent dish.
White cabbage of later varieties is suitable for pickling. Heads of cabbage should be chopped for salting together with stumps - this way you can save much more vitamins. Interestingly, sauerkraut is better preserved frozen, in which case the loss of vitamin C will be minimal. But with frequent defrosting and re-freezing, by spring it can lose its entire supply of vitamins.
Together with sauerkraut, vegetables and fruits such as carrots, bell peppers, apples, cranberries are perfectly preserved and even complement its taste and medicinal properties. They saturate cabbage with carotene, provitamin A and vitamin C, and chlorogenic acid.
Various spices also combine well and enhance the healing properties of cabbage. Anise, black pepper, caraway seeds and bay leaves enrich it with essential and phytocidal oils, which are harmful to microbes and help stimulate the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.
