Consuming vegetables is one of the keys to a healthy eating routine. In Brazil, one of the customs that makes food is cooking red cabbage. However, to keep red cabbage's color super flashy, some other unknown tricks can be used. See below for tips on preserving red cabbage color.
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Add an acidic element
Cabbage is purple because of a molecule known as anthocyanin. It is the same molecule present in blueberries, a red fruit. But the anthocyanin pigment pigments foods differently depending on the level of acidity.
When cooking cabbage, this same molecule is responsible for changing the vibrant purple color of the food. It is for this reason that cabbage sometimes turns blue when you cook red cabbage. However, two killer tips prevent this from happening.
One of the tricks used to keep red cabbage from turning blue is to control the acidity level when cooking. Thus, using an acidic liquid, such as the juice of a lemon, increases the cabbage's acidity.
As most of the water present in homes is neutral, with an average pH in the number 7, sautéing food only in water reduces acidity. Thus, balancing the acid present in the food is a way to preserve the color of the cabbage.
The more acid added to the preparation, the more intense the color of the cabbage will be, with this it is possible to achieve pink or reddish tones.
Use good tools in the kitchen
One of the secrets of good food is the use of good pans and different tools in the kitchen. For this reason, when cutting cabbage, it is good to choose stainless steel blades.
When taking it to the fire, the same thought applies. Cooks, professional or not, should choose non-reactive pans, which are enameled cast iron and stainless steel.
If you don't have a pan made of one of these materials, if your cabbage changed color when cooking, it is still possible to correct the acidity and rescue the color of red cabbage. Again, good lemon juice is a great alternative.
