# Do you wash your cabbage?



## abby

I usually use organically grown cabbage & don't worry so much about washing every leaf.  I always take off the outer leaf.  When I use regular cabbage I usually wash every leaf but have never found anyone else that does this.  Just curious as what you do before using your cabbage.  Thanks.


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## CharlieD

Why would you wash regular one but not the organic one? Personally I would do it other way around.


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## pdswife

no... never have


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## pacanis

Why would organic/non-organic make a difference? Doesn't organically grown stuff use "real" fertilzer, as in manure, where the other farmers use a processed, chemical oriented fetilizer? And farmers stop fertilizing or spraying crops a certain time before picking anyway.
At any rate, I peel the first couple layers off of my cabbage or lettuce, but I don't rinse either. I figure it's been rinsed enough before it hits the stores.


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## bethzaring

no I don't wash or rinse my cabbage, but I do discard the outer leaves.  If you understand the growing habit of the cabbage, the leaves form from the central core and only grow larger, you will see that it would be difficult for anything to get inside the cabbage.  The sprays will congregate at the base of the inner plant, that would be the only area that needs attention, but I cut off that part of the base.


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## BreezyCooking

I just peel off & discard a couple of the outer leaf layers, which are normally tough anyway, before using the rest.  Don't bother washing it.

Now when I used to feed those discarded outer leaves to my rabbits & chickens, I DID wash them before feeding them to the animals - lol!!


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## Lisar

I always wash it. No matter what kind it is.


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## sattie

Peel outer leaves and go with it, I don't wash it.


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## mcnerd

Ditto with just peeling outer leaves.


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## Michael in FtW

I rinse the outside off (holding the cabbage stem side up so water doesn't run into the layers underneath) - then peel the outer leaves and rinse again. That's going rinse off any surface bacteria and gets rid of any portion that has been handled by others.


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## Dove

*I do the same as Michael..
My husbands sister in N.C. always had a nice garden.One year she had 30 pound cabbages..when she asked a neighbior if he could use another one he said"are you kidding?? Ihave eaten cabbage for over a week now" 
when the plants would first come up she would put black pepper in the center..kept the bugs away.*


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## abby

The reason I don't wash the organically grown is I grow it myself.  I know it is not sprayed with pesticides & that it is grown using compost as the fertilizer.  I do take off outer leaves & rinse it but don't feel I would be eating poison by not washing each leaf.

Thanks for all your replies!


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## CharlieD

I'd be more concern about bugs.


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## Constance

BreezyCooking said:


> I just peel off & discard a couple of the outer leaf layers, which are normally tough anyway, before using the rest.  Don't bother washing it.



That's exactly what I do. Now you've got me craving cabbage...I'll write it on my grocery list.


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## Aria

*Wasabi Coleslaw Cabbage in a bag*

My husband does not like cabbage.  The only cabbage he will eat...

It's a spin-off of the old copy cat KFC with a punch of wasabi.  I originally made it with a bunch of diet ingredients and it was surprisingly delicious.  
Delicious either way.

1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon (more if you like) of Wasabi paste
1 pound bagged coleslaw
ground pepper to taste
in a very large bowl,whisk together mayonnnaise sugar,salt,lemon juice, and wasabi paste.  Add coleslaw and coat with sauce.  Stir in some black pepper.   Place in a glass bowl cover with plastic wrap.  Let sit in refrigerator about 1/2 hour.

I used inglehoffer cream style horseradish instead of the Wasabi.

This is easy and delicious.   Aria


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## expatgirl

I wash everything even watermelons and melons in general.......it takes me a week back in the states to even brush my teeth with tap water cause you get so used to not doing it overseas ........two 3rd world countries that I've lived in I soaked the produce in the purple crystals dissolved in water,( potassium permanganate).......had to be careful as it loves to stain your hands dark brown but it took care of the wee beasties and none of us ever got sick.....at the soup kitchen where I volunteered  in TX we were taught to soak all veggies in vinegar water and all lettuce and cabbage were opened up to expose the inner layers........then we rinsed and used an industrial leaf spinner to get the excess water off.........


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## Constance

I always soak my stuff in salt water. If there are any bugs, they float to the top.


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## cookinghomefood

You will still need to wash it. Being organic does not take small particles of dirt off. Organic refers just to the process of tilling the land, you still need to wash the cabbage to remove any dust that may have accumulated. Dust is so small they can get into the inner leaves.


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## jpmcgrew

I do like the others peel off a few leaves and have at it no washing.


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