Sweetheart cabbages are the pointy cabbages you see in the shops – and they are better than regular white cabbage in my opinion because it’s easier to use, to cut, to cook than a regular hard white cabbage. Sweetheart cabbages are also sweeter, so a more pleasant taste – and they cook just a little quicker than a hard white cabbage, so always a welcome feature!
I’ve always loved cabbage, but I never liked having to buy a whole regular white cabbage and get through it all. There is less volume to a sweetheart cabbage and it’s much easier to cut with a small knife – it’s also fast to cook. We used to grow our own cabbages when I was growing up, but these days, increasingly, cabbages are presented in shops like solid hard footballs! Cabbages of my youth were much nicer and sweeter and more appealing.
How to Cook a Sweetheart Cabbage
For me, the simplest way to cook these is in the microwave steamer. Any steamer will do if you have one though. Depending where your cabbage has been bought, you might prefer, or need, to wash it before you cook it – this is a choice you make based on what your cabbage looks like it and how you feel about that – simply rinse it in cold water.
Here are the instructions:
- If you are cooking just half of the cabbage, then slice it in half, cutting away from the stalk at the last moment so the half you are not cooking today still keeps the whole of the stem part – this will help it to last longer. Wrap the unused half in foil to keep it fresh longer.
- Top and tail the sweetheart cabbage and remove any outer leaves that don’t look nice to you. Cut the cabbage in half lengthways.
- Place the sweetheart cabbage cut side down into your steamer with boiling water.
- Microwave for just 5 minutes (800 watt microwave). Check if it’s cooked as it will depend on the size of the cabbage, how strong your microwave is and how you like your cabbage.
- Shred the cabbage how you like it – or simply separate the leaves to serve.
It really is that simple. For me, this is why I prefer to buy and eat sweetheart cabbages – they are not as densely layered as a regular white cabbage, so they’re super simple to just slice through – they are fast to cook without fuss in the microwave. They are also, usually, small enough to get through eating the whole lot without feeling it’s “endless cabbage” again and again and again, which is what tends to happen for me with white cabbage.
Sweetheart Cabbage Recipes:
I actually just like to eat cabbage, I love the taste and texture of cabbage and am quite happy with a plate of it with gravy 🙂
Having said that, the leaves can be great in stuffed cabbage recipes.
Sweetheart Cabbage Coleslaw is another use – it’s easier to shred the raw cabbage by hand and the green colour gives a different look to your coleslaw.